Broken Wings
by OutlastTheDark
Summary: Through a botched teleportation a mythical Warrior of Death from another realm finds himself thrown into the world of Remnant. And with him comes a threat, a threat so great that even Azeroth itself could only hope push back on its own. Will old hatreds be set aside? Can those of different worlds come together to stand and fight? Or will they all be devoured in Felfire?(Sequel up!)
1. Chapter 1: Halloween Dance

_**Warcraft: Broken Wings**_

* * *

 **Hi! Uh. So I'm not too sure what to put here since this is my first story. I guess I just sort of came up with this idea while my friends and I were decorating for Halloween and the song Broken Wings came on, and they eventually convinced me to put it up. Enjoy!**  
 **I own none of this. RWBY and the Warcraft universes are the rightful property of their respective owners.**

* * *

"It's a waste of time, and we both know it!" A figured donned in a black cloak stated as he turned to face another figure. The second was also dressed in a strange cloak, yet theirs was a distinct lavender color, giving an almost royal air about them.

"You are going in that portal, you asked for one to Dalaran, and you're getting one!" The second figure exclaimed with growing irritation. The two of them had been in this same argument for nearly 10 minutes now, with a large swirling portal hanging loosely behind them as if propped up by invisible string. "I wasted a few hundred gold on the materials to make this thing, you'd _better_ make use of it!"

"When I said I wanted a portal, I meant that-..."

"That if you continue on like this you aren't going to be able to get basic tasks done without assistance... Because I'll break both your legs..." The second figure reasoned. The first figure knew it was the truth, and while it was tempting to continue the argument, he knew that his allies 'logic' had bested him, and so he conceded the argument then and there.

"Are you absolutely sure this portal is safe? I would rather not end up stuck in some sort of anomaly... Again." The first cloaked figure said as it knelt before an imposing wormhole, energy swirling around in such a way it appeared as if the edge of the portal was lined with a thousand teeth, all waiting to bite down on the cloaked figure should they dare draw any closer.

"Trust me, it's safe. I double checked my spell work; you should arrive at the city no problem!" The second clocked figure replied, his voice dripping with both pride and uncertainty, though the former was able to bury the latter to an overwhelming degree, for no other reason than to the nerves of his friend.

Despite the second figures best attempts to seem confident, the first crossed his arms and sighed, but stood regardless, preparing to jump into the vortex that lay before them. "Well here goes nothing I guess."

Upon peering into the portal however, nearly all of his confidence vanished.

Not bothering to turn back to his companion, the first cloaked figure made a sound of uncertainty as he gazed upon the lands shown in the portal. He certainly did not recognize any of it, and while that was not cause for alarm in of itself, it was enough to prompt the first figure to turn to the second and ask, "This doesn't look like Dala-..."

That was all he could get out before two hands slammed into his chest, sending the first figure spiraling into whatever mysterious world lay upon the other wide of the portal. The laughter of his friend was the last thing the cloaked figure heard before the portal's entrance closed, sealing his fate.

The second figure chuckled merrily to himself as he closed the portal and pulled out a tome, opening the musty text to a marked page, happily burying himself into his book. "Everyone's a critic these days."

* * *

If there was one holiday that team RWBY could all agree that they enjoyed, then that holiday was the night of Halloween. While it meant much different things for each person present, it meant a night of merriment for most of them in the end either way. It was for this reason that three of them were running around their dorm, hastily attempting to throw on their costumes.

"C'mon guys! We're gonna be late for the dance!" Yang cried in mild distress as she strapped different pieces of an elaborate angel costume to herself, nearly slapping her younger sister, who was passing by, across the face with fake wings as the blonde attempted to throw them on like a strange backpack.

"Well _maybe_ if Weiss hadn't taken a hundred years to do her hair I wouldn't have to hurry so much!" Ruby, who had donned a rock star getup along with a guitar that she had borrowed from one of the other students as her costume, cried, continuing to dodge her sisters deceptively fragile looking angel wings of death.

"Hey it's not my fault! If Yang had just paid attention to where she was aiming her stupid spray on glitter, I wouldn't have _Had_ to redo my hair!" Weiss retorted, staring into a hand mirror, fixing a loose hair strand or two that moved out of place. If only she had asked Phyrra for a place to change into her vampire costume in peace.

She had heard of sparkling vampires before but this was just becoming ridiculous.

However, amongst the bustling chaos that was currently the RWBY dorm, there sat one person idle, her eyes glued to a random book that she had procured from the library earlier in the day, along with 5 others that were currently sitting at the foot of her bed. Their mission was to occupy the girl for the night while the Halloween dance kept those she would normally spend the night with busy.

Only one person noticed this at first, and only because she had noticed her out of the corner of her eye as she flailed around in her latest attempt to get her wings attached properly, eventually succeeding after almost knocking down a lamp and nearly smacking Ruby over the head once again.

"C'mon Blake, aren't you gonna get into your costume? The dance starts in like 10 minutes!" Yang exclaimed with a smile, picking up Blake's designated costume, a necromancer, still wrapped in the airtight placid bag that team RWBY had purchased it in a few days beforehand.

"No."

Ruby noticed the conversation and decided to attempt to interject but was almost immediately shot down by her dark haired teammate. "But we-..."

"I said _No_..." Blake seethed.

"Blake, come on, you have to at least-..." Yang cut herself off and quickly ducked as Blake suddenly tossed her book recklessly towards them, and though it missed the first two girls, it instead found it's mark only a few inches from where Weiss was pampering herself, causing the young heiress to shriek in surprise, jumping out of her seat.

Yang sensed that getting Blake into her costume would be a less than simple feat. However, out of concern for her friend she pushed on, opting to rip the emotional bandage off now to save the dancing they always did around the subject, knowing that it would be brought up either way in the end. "Blake it's been a year since Sun... _Left_... You've got to-..."

"I'm not going. That's final." Blake interrupted, ripping a new book from the small stack that she had gathered, purposely holding it directly in front of her face to show Yang her desire to be left alone.

The blonde member of team RWBY quickly caught on, as signaled by her tossing the robe to the bed like an old rag and glaring up at her friend, who had yet to withdraw the text from her face.

"You know what... _Fine_." Yang huffed in irritation, grabbing the arms of both her younger sister and Weiss, before beginning her forced march out of the room, turning around for but a moment only to say, "Your costume is on my bed if you change your mind and decide to come and have fun with your friends... You know, the ones that are still here."

With that a loud slam could be heard. Blake dipped her book carefully down her face to find everyone except for her had vacated the room with surprising efficiency. She was alone.

Blake gazed down at the robe from her perch and sighed sadly. She did not want to go to this party. She didn't, she really didn't.

But her friends were there, all of them most likely wondering if she would be okay on her own for the night while they all had a great time.

That's what drove her to jump down to the floor to slowly change into the robe.

* * *

"She better get over her little storm cloud of a mood pretty soon, because I'm getting pretty frickin' tired of having having to walk on eggshells with her!" Yang yelled as she stormed down the paths of Beacon, with her younger sister and Weiss close in tow.

"You're right, but we should be a little more understanding. Sun was important to her after all." Ruby reasoned, earning a small sigh from her elder sister as the three of them stopped at a crossroad.

"I know Ruby... I just wish we could do _something_ to help her." Yang explained. She was just about to continue on towards the dance when she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Standing around about 15 feet away from them was a hooded figure dressed in a black robe, his face obscured from the three of them.

"Man, he spent some time on that costume huh." Weiss commented, her eyes widening when her blonde teammate brushed past her, smacking her with her angel wings of death in the process, all while waving towards the hooded man.

" _Hellooo_!" Yang called out waving her arms in the air to grab the attention of the hooded man, who glanced up at the three, his piercing gaze stopping the girls in their tracks for a moment before Yang's confidence returned. "Nice costume! Where'd you get that?"

"Oh.. Uh... I made it." The hooded figure fumbled with his words, surprised at the sudden conversation he was thrust into.

Yang was not concerned with his awkward answer however. His voice unsettled her. Something seemed to be unnatural about it. She quickly hid this behind another one of her signature smiles. "Hey are you aright? Did you get up on the wrong side of the bed or something?"

"No, just a bit ill. It's getting a little better though."

"Oh, well good! So do you attend Beacon or are you visiting?" Ruby asked, finally gaining the courage to speak to the hooded man.

"Erm... Yes, I attend this academy." The figure lied. Judging by looks alone, these people were no younger than him so it would be an easy disguise to pull off. Besides, if he were to go along with them, he could quickly gain information on this new location, and perhaps even find a way to leave. Putting on his best clueless act, the figure glanced around chuckled. "Sorry... Guess I just got a little lost."

"Aha, that's not a problem! We'll get you to the dance!" Yang exclaimed as she threw her arm around the figures shoulders, nearly smacking him in the face with on of her angel wings. Her arm withdrew a moment afterwards upon noticing something in the distance. Team JNPR. "Look! Looklooklook! It's the others! Come on!"

Without another word Yang sped off, leaving the other three in the dust. Weiss quickly followed, disinterested in the hooded figure. Only Ruby lingered behind for a moment to mutter a small apology before speeding off to join her friends.

The figure chuckled. "Well the locals are... Colorful to say the least."

Taking his surroundings in once again, the figure was less than surprised to see that he still was not quite alone. From the corner of his eye he could easily make out the shape of a flowing purple robed woman shuffling towards him. A necromancers robe. Her outfit consisted of the purple robe, along with a black bow that rested comfortably on the top of her head.

"Well... I can safely say I've never seen a necromancer with a bow on their head before." The figure chuckled at the woman, earning a small frown from her until the figure sensed his mistake and quickly added, "It fits you though."

"Yeah, thanks... I guess." Blake mumbled, unsure of what to make of this mysterious individual who she had seen speaking with her team. It was not that she did not trust her team. It was more that she had no idea who this man was, and she had been screwed over enough times to know that keeping an eye on this man, just incase he tried anything funny.

The figure however was rather fascinated by this new arrival. She appeared to be much calmer than the other inhabitants that he had met so far. Something that he liked. A calm nature often meant quite a bit of wisdom, in his eyes at the very least. "Most necromancers paint a skull on their face though."

"I didn't get around to the face paint."

"Why not? You had some didn't you?"

"Yeah, except I wanted to hurry to catch up my friends so I Uh... I just didn't get around to the face paint." Blake shrugged, not exactly caring about the lack of a completed costume on her part. Maybe she was just talking to someone who hated to see an incomplete costume.

"Oh! Well I have an easy solution for you in that case!" The figure said, his tone suddenly brightening as he pulled out a small vial of what appeared to be a grayish white paint. Uncorking the vial with a pop the figure dripped some of the paint onto one of his fingers before glancing up at Blake. "May I?"

Blake nodded and stepped closer, though not without warning the man, "Don't try anything."

"I won't." The humored tone in his voice vanished upon noticing the glare that the female was wearing. It was a shame to him. Someone with a face like hers deserved to smile. "I promise..."

"People have broken promises to me before." Despite her words, Blake allowed the man to begin his work, calmly waiting as he laid out the image of skull across her face. It felt strange to have another person touch her face, yet for some reason that she would never truly be able to explain, she let it happen, never turning away.

After a few minutes of awkward silence between the two, Blake finally spoke up, blurting out the first thing to come to mind.

"So... Do you just carry around face paint wherever you go?" She asked, almost immediately feeling foolish. It was Halloween,of course people would carry around face paint! Her question was rewarded however when she saw the man's lips curl into a smirk.

"No, not exactly, this paint is more for keeping the sun out of your eyes." He explained, beginning to fill in her forehead with the grey-white paint, though the smile never left his face.

"Isn't it supposed to be black then?"

"Yes, _yes_ it is. You can thank my friend for that one." The figure laughed, remembering the fiasco that had turned all of his warpaint white, though his concentration was never taken from the task at hand, his fingers moving across her face as if it had done so a thousand times before. "While I do care deeply for them, there are certainly days that they drive me up a wall."

Blake couldn't stop the smile that slowly crept onto her face. "I can understand that."

"There's a smile. Knew you had it in you." The figure chuckled as he wiped the remaining residue from his finger on his cape, closing the vial that held the rest of the paint with the same small popping sound Blake had heard when he had first opened it. "I'm finished. Shall we go and meet up with your friends?"

She was afraid he was going to say that.

Every single rational part of Blake's brain told her to deny. Told her to make her excuses and find her way to her friends herself, to leave this mysterious stranger behind. She had a million and one reasons to ditch this man. Heck, she could even just go back to her room, back to the stack of books that no doubt still rested on the end of her bed, just waiting to be read.

"...Sure, let's go." She hated her irrational side sometimes.

It was a silent walk to the dance, neither person wishing to disturb the quiet of the night. It was relaxing, being able to stroll to a dance without worries. Even Blake seemed as if she was enjoying herself, illustrated by the multiple deep breaths she took, attempting to relax her clenched muscles from the stress of the last year.

"Please just... _Ow_! Please Cardin, just leave me _alone_!" A voice ripped the two out of the relative tranquility they had been basking in. Upon locating the source of the noise, Blake was disgusted to see the school bully Cardin up to his favorite past-time once again. Bullying the Faunus girl Velvet.

Blake sighed. The peace was nice while it lasted.

"Why? You're dressed as a big scary Viking! Shouldn't a Viking be able to fight me off?" Cardin jeered as he leaned against a rather large old looking tree, giving another rough yank to Velvet's ear.

The figure apparently had noticed the altercation as well, as he had now slowed to a stop and was staring at the scene with just as much ire. "What exactly is going on over there?"

"That would be our school bully Cardin. He has a thing against the Faunus, as do most humans. Though I'm sure you already knew that." Blake explained, a small sigh accompanying her words. "Usually my friend Jaune would stand up to him, but he's not here right now. Guess Cardin thinks he has free reign."

"Ow! _Stop! Please!_ " Velvet cried, drawing Blake's attention back to the other female. Cardin's grip had obviously grown tighter, as Velvet had now grabbed into his wrist in an attempt to force him to release her.

"...Right..." The man growled, having seen enough of the little show being put on.

The figure then began a quick walk over to the two all while Blake trailed behind him, grabbing onto his shoulder as she warned, "Don't get involved. You'll just end up making things worse for her."

Unfortunately this tipped off Cardin that a few people had been watching him, his ear yanking put on pause when he saw that Blake girl along with some guy he had never seen before were now advancing on him at a pace he was not prepared for. "Huh? Who're _you_ supposed to-..."

Before Blake could stop him, the figure grabbed Cardin's head with both of his hands and pulled it at a vicious speed towards the ground, with the figures knee traveling at nearly the exact same speed in the opposite direction.

Blake was almost certain that the sickeningly loud crack that followed was a newly formed concussion for the school bully. Along with a possible cracked skull. Boy the infirmary was going to have a field day with that one.

"Go to the dance." The stranger said as he pushed the paralyzed Velvet into Blake's grasp, his voice much darker in tone than it had been previously. Each word that flowed from his mouth sent a shiver down the two Faunuses spines.

"What're you going to do?..." Velvet, timid as ever, asked the man. While she certainly hated Cardin with a passion, she by no means wanted to see him seriously hurt by this stranger.

" _Go_..."

Blake needed no more convincing, her body shivering once more as she led Velvet away from the two two men and towards the dance, away from whatever Cardin was about to suffer.

She was not about to stop whatever happened. Cardin was known throughout the Faunus student population to be one of the most racist huntsmen-in-training in all of Beacon Academy. If this stranger wanted to teach him a lesson, Blake was all too happy to walk away. She may not be Adam, killing was still too far in her eyes, but she certainly did not mind a little karma.

Meanwhile back at the tree the figure glanced down at Cardin, who had been clutching his head, with a psychotic grin that showed a killers intent. "So... Like to torture others do we? Well let's see how enjoyable it is for you on the other side of the coin..."

"No... Stay away!... _Stay away_!" Cardin was silenced by the man's darkly laughing form overtaking him. "Eep.."

* * *

"...-And thats how Ren and I took down a dozen Death Stalkers with only our bare hands and rescued the children of the Vale Orphanage!" Nora, who was dressed as an astronaut, exclaimed as she jumped to her feet and pumped her fist high into the air, nearly knocking out a passing student in the process.

"It was beowolves. Two of them. In the middle of the forest." Ren interrupted, the various pieces of jewelry on his pirate costume jingling as he buried his face in his hands and shookmhis head. Where Nora got this imagination of hers he would never know.

"Either way though, we-..." Nora's rant teetered off upon glancing at the entrance of the party to see Blake and Velvet strolling hurriedly into the party. While this would not normally be grounds for stopping Nora, Blake's face paint certainly was enough. "Blake? Wooaah..."

The rest of the little RWBY/JNPR group that had been listening to Nora's story had also turned to fade Blake, only for both Jaune and Ruby to stop eating their plate full of desserts that had been in front of them. Phyrra and Weiss merely stepped back uneasily, their faces twisting into worry. Even Yang appeared as if she was unsettled by the sight of her friend.

"What? What's wrong?" Blake asked as she and Velvet walked over, the formers head tilting to the right ever so slightly in confusion. Did they not want her at the party? They had tried so hard to get her to come before.

"Did you do that yourself?..." Ruby asked, pointing at Blake's face upon receiving another tilt of the head. "The face paint. Did you do that?... It looks..."

"Kinda frickin' realistic." Yang interjected.

The rest of the friends present nodded in agreement. Finally after an awkwardly long silence, Weiss worked up the courage to hand Blake her hand mirror, which the raven haired young woman opened with all haste, only to gasp at the sight that lay before her.

That man had indeed painted a skull onto her face, one that perfectly commented the necromancers robe. Because it looked horrifyingly realistic, at least as realistic as it could look with the time it took the figure to paint her face. Even the most minor of crevices appeared to have been taken into account. If it weren't for her piercing yellow eyes staring back at her, Blake would have been convinced that she was looking directly at a monster.

"Well Miss Belladonna, you've certainly put quite a bit of time into your costume." A voice interrupted Blake's train of thought. Upon glancing up Blake was surprised to see none other than Professor Ozpin dressed in a standard mad doctor costume, grinning at her. "I'll bet you would win best costume with your face-paint alone."

"I-.. Uh, thanks." Blake replied, slightly stunned at the compliment.

It was then that Blake saw a black cloaked figure slip into the party, clearly looking for someone. Presumably her. Once again her sensible side told her to tell Ozpin of this mysterious stranger that had made his way onto the campus, while her growing irresponsible side told her to excuse herself from present company to follow the man, to continue speaking with him.

Guess which side won out. Again.

* * *

Blake finally was able to catch up to the man when he reached the ballroom balcony, where he was silently leaning over the edge, watching the tranquility of the nearly empty campus grounds before him. He would never admit it, but he always loved the serenity of a garden at night.

"So... What'd you end up doing to Cardin?" Blake asked as she strolled over to lean on the railing next to the man, interrupting his thoughts, yet earning no resentment for such an action. Merely another smile.

"Hmm? Oh it's a surprise; one I'm sure you'll like." He replied, never taking his eyes off of the campus gardens below. His voice lacked the darkness that had flowed through it previously, back to its still unnatural, yet happy tone that it had been before the confrontation with Cardin.

"You didn't hurt him seriously did you?" Not that Blake cared all that much for the safety of the bully, but her worry was still piqued. She did not want Cardin to die after all. That would make her no better than Adam.

The stranger laughed as he shook his head slowly. "No, of course not, but he won't be bothering you or that other girl anymore."

"M-me? What do you mean?" Blake asked apprehensively as she instinctively reached up to her bow, every muscle in her body tensing. Had she somehow been found out? That was impossible though. She worked so hard to keep her secret safe. How could he possibly know?

The figure smirked again. Damn him.

"Your bow twitches rather irregularly from time to time, and I'm relatively sure it's not the wind doing it." Upon noticing Blake's expression, the figure's smile disappeared. Was she really so untrusting? He could not blame her, that was for sure. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

"Why would you care? It's not like you gain anything by not revealing my secret." She asked. It was not that she wanted to have her secret revealed, rather she wanted an answer. Excluding her team and team JNPR, most people would immediately point such a thing out to whoever they could.

"Because I know what it's like to be hated by society as well." The man answered cryptically, his shoulders slouching ever so slightly.

"Oh..."

"I gotta say though..." The figure continued, finally taking his eyes off of the gardens below to sneak a glance over to Blake. "I've only known you for about 10 minutes but you've made me laugh quite a bit, more than I have in a while. Maybe that's all the world needs; a little bit of understanding."

The two then faded into silence, their conversation concluded. Neither minded. It was the sort of silence that comforted you, the type that made you relaxed and let you expel all the worries from your mind into the wind.

"So are you having fun?" The stranger asked after a few more minutes of comfortable silence, finally deciding that he would much rather hear Blake speak than to hear the soft sounds of the garden. Those he could listen to anywhere. There was only one Blake that he knew of. So why not make the most of it?

"Well I'd much rather be reading, but it makes my team happy to see me at things like these, so..." Blake shrugged, a careless smirk appearing on her face, almost mirroring the one that she had been receiving almost all night so far. "It won't kill me you know?"

"Wait you didn't hear?" The figure's voice grew concerned as he turned to face the cat faunus.

Blake eyes widened at this comment. As she spoke she could not help it when her words flowed out laced with worry. "What? What did I not hear?"

"They say parties are the leading cause of death for bookwo-..." The figure laughed as he felt Blake's clenched fist smack into his arm. "See? Already suffering from the muscle spasms!"

Unbeknownst to the two on the balcony however, Blake had been followed up by none other than Yang and Ruby, both of which were hiding on either side of the doorway, though the younger sister was much more liberal with her turkey peaking.

"Uhh... Why's Blake so happy suddenly?" Ruby asked, clueless as to the situation at hand. Sure, it was nice to see her dear friend and teammate smiling and laughing again, but she could not quite figure out why Blake was suffering, or benefitting, from such a sudden mood shift. "Do you think she accidentally drank some of Dr. Oobleck's special coffee again?"

"No little sis, she's just finally walking out from under that little storm cloud of hers." Yang answered with a smile. Not the usual smile that Yang wore whenever she was about to utter a horrible pun or pull a prank on poor Jaune. This was a smile of contentment.

"Ohh. Well that's good!" Ruby said with a smile of her own. Suddenly a question popped into her head, something she had been meaning to ask earlier before Nora's story had begun. "...Say Yang... Do you think he _Really_ attends Beacon?"

"Hmm? No, of course not." Yang laughed and shrugged, earning a look of confusion from her younger sister. Rolling her eyes, Yang pointed at the two on the balcony. "But look how happy Blake is. Even if he doesn't attend here, he's obviously not here to cause a problem, so I really don't see any issue with him staying, especially if he's making our teammate smile so much."

"I guess so." Ruby said before glancing around, apparently growing bored with the situation at hand. Eventually she began to back away form the doorway as she said, "Hey, I'm gonna go back to the dance. You coming?"

Yang took one last look over at Blake who was laughing once again and turned back to her younger sister. "Sure, let's go."

* * *

The rest of the dance passed relatively uneventfully. Nora's wild stories continued unabated, while Ren struggled to correct them. The dessert buffet was raided by the combined forces of Ruby and Jaune, while Phyrra attempted to save some of the cookies and brownies for the other students. Ruby sniffed those out in a matter of minutes as well.

The stranger had even somehow coaxed a dance or two out of Blake before the night was over, though it was apparent that neither of them were really built to handle the dance floor, no matter how much silent encouragement they received from a certain blonde brawler.

After a good few more hours of partying, finally they all stood at the balcony where Blake's happiness had finally returned to her, and where a portal now lay. The one that had carried the stranger to beacon in the first place with the stranger and Blake standing directly in front of it, sharing goodbyes, all while their little group stood a respectable distance back, giving the two the time they needed.

"So... I guess that's your ride huh?" Blake asked, staring at the portal, secretly wishing she could somehow close it. Somehow keep this stranger at Beacon. She knew it couldn't be done though. It was obvious he had friends. Possibly loved ones...

"Yeah, my friends must've finally been able to track me down..." The stranger muttered as he glanced into the portal. It was absolutely from his friends. Even the image that rippled about the portal was of the mountains from which he had been previously before this whole fiasco had begun those seemingly long few hours before.

"...Will I ever see you again?" Blake asked, her normally composed voice increasing ever so slightly in pitch as she began to play with her hands. A nervous habit that she had never quite grown out of.

The stranger chuckled, though this one lacked the usual luster. It was almost a bitter laughter; forced even. "I have a feeling we'll see each other again some day soon."

A moment of silence passed between the group. No one wanted to interrupt the silence that seemed as dense as ice.

"...While you were off speaking with your rather loud friend, Nora I believe her name was, your other friend Yang came over and spoke with me." The stranger finally uttered, his hand reaching behind his back for a moment. It was an action that Blake would have taken as the man reaching for a weapon mere hours ago.

Now she would not even raise her arms.

"Really? Why?"

"She tells me that you've been sad, defeated even..." The figure said as Blake suddenly grew extremely interested in the ground she stood upon, but glanced up in surprise at the figures next words. "Don't be. I don't know what happened, but I do know that you're too strong to let it drag you into darkness."

"I-... I know... I just..."

The figure reached over to Blake, placing his hand upon her cloth covered shoulder, giving it a soft reassuring squeeze.

"My dear friend once told me something when it seemed that there were no options left, when it seemed the world was ready to swallow us whole..." The figure paused for but a moment before he pulled out a small purple gemstone attached to a bit of string from behind his back. Without missing a beat he lifted it over Blakes head and around her neck. "He told me that you should always look towards the future with hope in your heart. Tomorrow is another day. Remember that."

Blake felt her eyes well up and she grasped the gemstone around her neck, before the rest of her judgment flew out of the window as she launched herself in a hug towards the figure as she smiled. "...I will."

After breaking off the hug, the figure smiled at Blake one more time, his voice betraying his true emotions, no matter how calm he tried to keep himself. "Goodbye Blake."

"W-wait! You never told me-..." Blake cut herself off when the figure disappeared into the portal, which closed almost immediately afterwards, sealing off the only path between them. With a sigh the Faunus girl gripped the gemstone around her neck. "I never even got to learn his name..."

Yang was the first one with enough courage to walk over to Blake, followed by all of their other friends except for Ruby who had disappeared some time ago, presumably not wanting to endure the sadness of the situation any longer than necessary.

"Well Blake I guess that makes him your little Halloween mystery." The blonde brawler said, putting an arm over Blake's slumped shoulders. She was not worried about her friend slipping back into sadness. The strangers speech had sealed that avenue of thought off, hopefully for good.

"Yeah..." Blake smiled as she examined the gemstone. A dark purple cut in the style of a marquis cut gem, yet appeared as if it had never been touched by a blade, as if it was formed in it's current state. "I guess so..."

After a few more moments of silence, Yang's sympathetic smile slowly twisted into a cheeky grin. "So permission to make fun of you for being a big softy?"

Blake was about to respond in kind to her teammate and partner's quip when the group suddenly heard the sound of hurried footsteps coming towards them.

"Yang! Blake! Everyone! Guess what!" Ruby, who everyone had presumed had gone back to the dorms, cried out to her friends as she sprinted over, her scroll in her hands. There was a large smile on her face, and she appeared to be out of breath. Blake chalked it up to the giggles that still had not died down, despite Ruby's full sprint.

"What's up sis?" Yang asked, putting her other hand on her hip as she tilted her head.

"Some guys just found Cardin Winchester knocked out and tied to a tree!" Ruby explained with a voice so chipper it almost felt out of place, alien to the words drifting from her mouth.

"What?! Really?" Yang's mouth twisted into a delighted smile.

"Yeah! And here's the best part!" Ruby activated the scroll and held it in front of all of her friends, displaying an image that no one there would soon forget, if ever. "Someone carved 'Jaune was here' and some bunny ears just above Cardin's head!"

Blake's smile was brighter than it had been all year.

* * *

 _ **So hope you liked it. If this ends up getting positive feedback I may do one for Christmas or New Years as well. For those wondering, yes the stranger did have a name, but I opted to keep it a secret to give it an almost Male Reader x Blake feel. If I end up making a sequel then I will probably end up using the strangers name though. Hope you have a good day! Thanks for reading!**_

 _ **Edit: Hey! I've decided to make this a multi-chapter story! I wasn't too sure at first, since a Warcraft/RWBY crossover sounded insane at first, but I now feel that it's the right way to go (Mainly because I saw a Star Wars crossover and realized if people will accept that then maybe my psychotic ideas aren't so crazy). Hopefully the next chapter will be out sooner rather than later!**_


	2. Chapter 2: Sick Day

_**Hey! So here's the next chapter of Broken Wings! I plan to write this story in miniature story arcs along with 2 or three major arcs that hang over the story. The first major arc is hinted at in this chapter, but is mainly for building up backstory. Enjoy!**_

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 _Broken Wings Chapter 2: Sick Day_

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"Are you sure you don't want us to stick around?" Yang asked as she and the other members of team RWBY all stood, looking down upon their sick teammate, concern prevalent on each face.

"No, it's not fair that you all miss an entire days worth of lessons because of me." Blake muttered, her voice clearly strained. She was sure that she looked about as horrible as she felt. Her eyes had massive bags under them, her hair was a mess, her skin was clammy. Not the best of days.

"Yeah, but you look _Really_ horrible..." Ruby said, her usual lack of a filter getting a strained laugh from Blake, the latter's head pounding with each exhalation of air.

"I'll be fine Ruby, I can take care of myself... Go to class." Blake insisted, pushing herself into a sitting position with help from Yang. Turning to the blonde brawler Blake coughed and asked, "Can you bring me back the homework? Don't want a pile of the stuff when I finally feel better."

"Sure thing kitty-cat." Yang said, setting a handful of books from Blake's shelf onto the bed next to her earning a 'thank you' and a nod from the Faunus.

With that Yang shuffled her remaining team members out of the door, locking it quietly behind her. Blake sighed, in truth she did want her team to stay to keep her company, to distract her from the hell her body was forcing her to endure, but she knew it would mean their grades suffering. She had to tough this particular one out on her own.

After a few moments of blissful silence, Blake reached for the little stack of books that Yang set there for her and carefully removed a book only to launch into a coughing fit, accidentally knocking the other books off the bed with a loud crash that seemed to echo throughout the room.

Or was that just her head? She couldn't be too sure.

" _Ugh_... Man..." She groaned, the pain radiating throughout her body overtaking the desire to retrieve her reading material. Resigning herself to the singular book still in her possession, Blake opened the book and turned the book to glance at the cover.

It was a book of old fairy tales. It must have been Ruby's, Blake had disposed of most of her fairytale books when she was still a child. Though it wouldn't hurt to take a small little peak at the one she was now clutching in her hands would it? It was the only book that hadn't decided to become intimate with the floor after all.

With an unconscious nod of her head Blake turned through the pages randomly until she found the beginning of one of the short stories, a story labeled _'A Knight's_ _Tale'_. With an audible sigh she began reading.

Blake found herself fascinated at first by the story resting in the palms of her hands, however that fascination soon diminished, overpowered by the pain still radiating in her cranium.

Though she would never admit it, there was another reason. It was the story itself. The story of a knight in shining armor saving those in distress. It was sickeningly sweet. As a child she loved such stories, and would always imagine that she would one day meet her knight in shining armor to live happily ever afterwards in a far off magical land.

Except her knight in shining armor abandoned her over a year ago.

Deciding it was not worth the pain to continue reading, Blake closed the storybook and carelessly tossed it to the end of her bed, opting instead to retrieve her scroll, which had been lying under her pillow. Watching something mindless would more than satisfy her now, she just wanted to forget about her current predicament.

At first she scrolled through various news stations, though all of them appeared to be running the same story. Yet another Faunus civil rights protest had grown violent, with members of each side resorting to rock throwing and small skirmishes throughout the streets of Vale.

Blake sighed loudly and quickly turned the program off; she did not need to hear of such things while she was recovering. With a sigh she pressed a small symbol on the bottom right of the screen, saving the program to watch later, for when she felt better.

Suddenly a smile spread across her face, an idea entering her mind.

With swift fingers, Blake quickly opened a series of folders, delving further and further into the data stores of her scroll until she finally tapped on a folder titled 'cartoons', randomly selecting one if the brightly colored icons at random.

After a few moments of buffering, Blake's scroll was filled with the animated images of a Faunus soldier and a human prince working together to stop a heard of Grimm from attacking the settlement in which they lived. The cartoon was titled _'The Unity_ _Chronicles'_ , a favorite of hers from when she was still a little girl.

When she joined up with the White Fang, they were completely against the cartoon and banned it for all members, Blake included. She would still watch though, especially when she was out on a mission where no other White Fang members were present. It was like her little escape from the world, her escape from reality.

Even now Blake seldom watched her favorite show with others present. Only when she was sure that she was alone in the library or the rest of her team was off either at classes or with friends that she would delve into this forbidden area of her scroll.

Apparently there were a few perks to being sick.

An hour or so finally passed before she show ended. While pleased at first Blake soon faced reality once more as it crashed down in the form of the headache that had been plaguing her the entire day harshening. Realizing that attempting to watch more of her show would be a futile endeavor, Blake silently closes the scroll and laid down, clutching her head in pain.

Clamping her eyes shut, Blake began to focus on her breathing, attempting to draw her attention away from her burning headache. Why did it have to hurt so much? It felt like her head was on fire, like her skull was made of smoldering iron. If this did not stop soon she would have to call Yang in attempt to get some rather strong painkillers.

But then, all of a sudden, it stopped.

All the pain, the burning sensation, all of it gone, all thanks to a cool hand that rested softly on her forehead, it's digits brushing the hair from her eyes. For a few moments Blake allowed herself to enjoy her blissful state in peace before daring to open her amber eyes, revealing the hooded stranger that stood before her. "It's you..."

Blake's first instinct was to rise, however she was carefully pushed by down to the bed by way of the stranger's other hand on her shoulder, causing her to glance at him in confusion.

"Don't try to get up, you're still weak. I was able to lower your fever with my power, but it'll only stay painless as long as you don't try to exert yourself, and right now that means even sitting up on your own." The stranger explained in his strange echoing voice, his hand refusing to remove itself from Blake's shoulder until he was sure she wouldn't not try to get up the moment he pulled away.

Unfortunately, Blake was much more stubborn that he had originally anticipated, which quickly resulted in him staring at a heap on the floor, his gaze filled with surprise at how quickly the Faunus had moved. Still though his words rang true; upon her departure from her lying position Blake was immediately seized by pain so instense she rolled off of the bed in surprise, head only cushioned from the fall thanks to the covers she had wrapped around herself earlier in the day.

With a soft laugh, the stranger bent down and lifted Blake from the floor, depositing her back onto the bed unceremoniously in a sitting position. However he did not pull away immediately, deciding instead to carefully undo the bow on the top of Blake's head that kept her Faunus heritage under wraps. Literally.

"So now that you know that I'm not kidding, do you think you can sit _still_?" The stranger asked, giving Blake one of the grins that she was beginning to grow accustomed to. She was more concerned for her bow however, watching the stranger carefully as he placed it on the nightstand next to the purple gemstone he had given her.

"Well just as long as you promise to tell me something." Blake said, an idea encroaching in her mind. It was a niggling little itch at first, one that manifested at the end of the Halloween Dance, but as more and more time wore on after the dance she felt she had to know.

"Oh?"

"You have a name?"

"Oh... _Er..._ Well most people just call me Wrath." The stranger, Wrath, said as he rubbed the back of his hooded head, shrugging his shoulders as he did so.

"That's the best answer I'm going to get? Even in my sickly state?" Blake jeered with a smile and wide eyes, feeling just a little better all of a sudden. If he was going to be secretive then she was going to make sure it was damn well hard for him to stay that way.

" _Yes_ , yes it is."

Blake laughed, her still strained voice causing her a bit of discomfort. Perhaps the act would be better saved for when she was healthy again. There would be plenty of time to learn his real name another day. "Fine, Wrath it is then."

"So..." Wrath glances down to the books on the floor, kicking one of the many tomes lightly with his foot. "Did you just decide you had taken enough shit from these books or is there a _'good'_ reason I'm stepping over literature?"

Blake could not summon the energy to think of a good comeback in good time, and so instead resorted to smacking his arm from her laying position, earning a flinch of surprise from her hooded friend, who laughed in retaliation.

A few minutes of comfortable silence passed in the RWBY dorm. Wrath was now sitting at the side of Blake's bed, curiously looking over Gambol Shroud, which he had discovered propped up against the bed, taking immediate interest in it. A smile seemed to appear on his face whenever he was able to figure out a different function of his friend's weapon.

Blake was watching Wrath with a considerable amount of amusement at first. It seemed as if Ruby would finally meet her match when it came to being a weapon lover. Eventually though, Blake decided to pull out her scroll, now feeling well enough to pay attention to that news program that she had saved earlier.

"In other news several more protests in the last few hours have resulted in violence by the continued intervention of the White Fang, with 30 participants in the fighting arrested, and 15 injured. Full story at 4." Blake's scroll echoed, spilling the voice of the newscaster out of the speakers. The Faunus grimaced; it seemed as if every time her people made a stand for something it would end in violence, White Fang or otherwise.

Realizing that she had been staring at the replay symbol on her scroll for nearly half a minute now, Blake closed the device and let it rest next to where she dropped her arm, making sure to not let it fall off the bed.

"White Fang? Who're they?" Wrath, who had glanced up from Blake's weapon over in her direction thanks to the newscast, asked as he rose to his full height once more. He was far from the tallest person that Blake had ever met, yet he still stood at least a head taller than her, possibly just over 6 foot tall.

"A faunus rights group. People call them monsters." She explained tiredly, going for her scroll once more as she spoke. "Which they are in a way. They used to be a peaceful group, but then a few things changed..."

"Monsters are sometimes the noblest beings of all who have merely lost their way." Wrath retorted, his voice growing cold. Blake knew that she had struck a chord, which in turn made her all the more curious.

"Why do you say that?" Blake asked. She did agree, but she was curious.

"...Personal reasons." Wrath muttered. A moment later he tilted his head to the side noticing that Blake's attention was focused on the device in her hands. "What're you doing?"

Blake ignored her friend at first, tapping on the screen in a flurry. She opened the newscast once more and paused the broadcast just as the white fang symbol flashed next to the newscasters head. With little hesitation Blake turned the scroll so that it was facing Wrath, who's eyes widened considerably upon seeing the emblem. "This is the White Fang insignia."

"Huh... Looks like the Frost Wolf Clan symbol..." Wrath muttered to himself almost too quietly for Blake to hear, no doubt intentionally. He had not taken in Blake's inherent ability to hear much more clearly than the average person. She nay have been tired, but she could still catch such coherent words.

"What? Frost Wolf? What's that?"

"Oh, nothing, just mumbling." Wrath dismissed, hastily attempting to take attention away from what he had said. This caught Blake's attention to an even greater degree. Who were they? A special division of White Fang?

"Oh yeah _right_ , come on, what were you sayi-..." Blake trailed off then and there however, stopped by a sound that caused her to go about as red as Ruby's cape. Her stomach growling. Loudly.

"Hungry?" Wrath asked with a smirk, clearly amused at the sound.

"No, my stomach decided it just wants to communicate with the world." Blake laughed, still strained as ever. It was a graceful recovery, Wrath would give her that. "Yes, _I am_. Couldn't get out of bed to get breakfast this morning. Not that I would've been able to stomach it anyway."

"Unfortunately there's not too much I can do about that, apologies." Wrath shrugged, sitting down on the bed next to Blake who yawned rather loudly, her eyes growing heavier by the second.

"You've already done more than enough Wrath." Blake says, smiling as her eyes begin to close. Her exhaustion was finally beginning to win over the desire to speak with her friend. "Thank you.."

Beginning to drift off, she sighed internally in happiness when she felt Wrath running his fingers through her hair.

However, right before she drifted off, Blake peeked her eyes open ever so slightly to take one last look at her friend, only to see Wrath remove his hood silently, letting long black hair spill out, along with revealing his eyes, which glowed an almost otherworldly blue color.

That was her last sight before she fell into the confines of unconsciousness, beginning to quietly snore after a few minutes.

Once he was sure that the Faunus girl that lay next to him was truly asleep, Wrath glanced at her scroll an idea slowly forming in his head. He knew he could do little in terms of easing her hunger, but he certainly knew a few people who could.

"Well... Let's fix that hunger problem of yours shall we?"

* * *

Blake awakened with a start, her eyes shooting open as wide as saucers. wasting no time to even let herself adjust to her newly awakened state, she grabbed at her scroll to see that 6 hours had passed since her team had left that morning and that it was now 4 in the afternoon. Classes had ended nearly an hour ago. Where was everyone?

Wrath was certainly long gone, Blake noted. There seemed to be no sign of her friend, as if he had never even been there in the first place. Looking around just a little more, Blake finally noticed that Weiss was also in the room, silently doing her nails on her bed.

Suddenly, without warning, a loud bang emanated from the door, causing Blake to nearly jump out of her skin. Standing there in the open door were Yang and Ruby, the latter of which carrying a large tray covered by a metal lid.

Yang, without missing a beat, sauntered over and gave her black haired teammate a small bow, while Ruby brought over the tray, handing it to the faunus girl carefully. "Your steak dinner miss Belladonna, specially ordered and acquired from _Le Cafe Magnifique_!"

"She means the cafeteria." Ruby whispered none-too subtly.

"W-what?"

"The steak dinner you asked us to get you? Remember? You texted me around noon asking for it." Yang explained raising an eyebrow in confusion. Had her teammate gone cooky over the course of the school day?

"I never ordered any-..." Blake trailed off when an idea of what could have happened wriggled it's way into her head, prompting her to turn her now complete pain-free head over at Weiss. "Hey Weiss, were we the only ones here today?"

"Uh, yeah. I got back a few hours ago, but you were dead asleep when I got here." Weiss explains, paying considerably more attention to Blake than normal as the heiress worked on her own nails. Another perk of being sick, Blake mused. "And the door was locked, no one came in or out of this room all day."

"Huh... Alright. I guess I did and just forgot, thanks you three." Blake said before graciously accepting the tray, digging into the meal while the other members went about their usual business.

Had it all been a dream? Some realistic hallucination brought on by her fever? Wrath was a pretty weird name for a person, so it only made sense. It must have all been a dream.

Blake sighed and continued to eat. However, upon turning her head ever so slightly when reaching for the napkin she noticed it. Her bow was laying on the table, neatly wrapped around the crystal necklace Wrath had given her. Her books had also been stacked neatly in alphabetical order.

Sure, Weiss could have stacked the books, but even the heiress knew to never touch Blake's bow, or the necklace. No, it hadn't been a dream. Not at all.

Blake smiled. Yes; there certainly were a few perks to being sick.

* * *

 ** _Yes, he's a death knight. No, I don't plan to make him some sort of 'I hate life' character. Let's face it, that's all too common really._** ** _There will be moments where he acts like a death knight, but_** _ **I plan to make him a much more relatable character compared to most, so if your worried about this turning into an angst-fest, then put those worries to rest. His race will also be revealed soon enough, but you'll just have to wait to find out that little detail. Thanks for reading!**_


	3. Chapter 3: The Challenge

_Broken Wings Chapter 3: The Challenge_

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 **Hey everybody! New chapter is here! But before that I just wanted to thank all those who have favorited and reviewed! I noticed in one of the reviews, specifically from Raging Archon, that I had forgotten to note Wrath's voice in the first chapter, so I went back and fixed it, so thank you for pointing that out and sorry for any confusion! Hope you'll enjoy!**

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"Mommy?" A young girl with black hair and small furry cat ears asked as she peered into a small bedroom where a woman with the same feline ears laid in bed, reading a thick book with a content smile on her face.

Noticing that her daughter had shuffled into the room, the woman slipped a bookmark that had been laying on the bedside table into the book, closing it with an audible thump. "Yes Blake?"

"Why do the humans hate me so much? They're always saying I'm an animal and shouldn't be with them..." Blake asked, her head tilting to the side. Though she kept a neutral face, the older Faunus could easily read the sadness hidden in her daughters gaze. "What did I do wrong?"

With a sigh the older woman gently patted the spot on the bed next to her, prompting Blake to hop up on the bed. Once her daughter was sitting next to her, Blake's mother began to run her fingers through Blake's hair; something zblake always loved. "You never did a thing dear..."

"Then why do they not like me?" She pressed, her eyes still filled with confusion.

"Because people like them don't understand what a wonderful girl you are Blake." Her mother answered with a sad smile, continuing to run her fingers through Blake's hair, albeit much slower than before.

"Oh." Blake replied, seemingly satisfied with her mothers answer. Turning her head to face the woman, Blake frowned. It was a frown that always broke her mothers heart. A frown the older woman wished she could always make vanish. "Will they ever be nice mommy?"

"I'm not sure dear... I dearly hope so..." Blake's mother muttered.

Suddenly it shifted. It was a cacophony of lights and sounds, twisting and distorting anything and everything. When the noises finally died down, team RWBY's dorm room stood where Blake's mothers room had once been.

Blake walked dejectedly into the room, her arms hanging limply at her sides, her head hung in such a way that her hair covered her face. Without bothering to greet any of her teammates, who had been waiting for their amber eyed friends return, Blake flung Gambol Shroud onto her bed and leaned against the wall.

"Hey... Blake?..." Ruby tried, pacing over to her friend cautiously. She knew that Blake would never hurt her, but at the same time the last thing she wanted to do was bother Blake while she was in such a state.

"Leave me alone..."

"What the heck happened out there?" Weiss asked, her usual lack of social grace prominent as ever.

"What do you think?! You were right okay?!" Blake snapped before her eyes softened almost immediately, losing all of her annoyance at once. She was too tired to keep up any sort of sustained anger. Too broken by the days events. "He broke up with me..."

"Aw... I'm sorry Blake..." Ruby cooed as she reached over and began rubbing Blake's back, unsure of what to say that could possibly ease the Faunus' suffering. She had no experience with dating, save for what Yang told her, so it was quite an alien situation for Ruby to deal with comforting a friend who had recently become single. Still though, she would do what she could.

It was then that the entire room froze upon the inhabitants hearing a soft knock on the door.

"Hey! Blake are you in there? Anyone? Hello?" Sun's voice echoed from the other side, Blake's face twisting in misery with every word that the monkey faunus spoke. Her first instinct was to hide away, to let her team deal with Sun. She knew she would not be able to love with herself if she did not get answers.

Yan glared at the door, striding across the room, ready to beat the living snot out of her friends now ex-boyfriend. However Blake beat her to the punch, crossing the room in 4 short strides, yanking the door open with such force that Sun took a step back upon seeing Blake.

 _"What?!"_ She hissed, her teeth bared.

"Woah, snappy." Sun muttered, regaining his senses and leaning against the doorframe. He did not want to have this conversation, but he knew that if he did not Blake would have found out, some way, somehow, and that would have just ended all the more dramatically.

" _Snappy_?! You just dumped me in front of half of the school!" She yelled, her eyes burning with renewed rage.

"I didn't know anyone else was in the library!"

"How could you not know?! There were people on every side of us! People who heard each and every word you said!... And every word you didn't..." Blake's rant teetered off. Both she and Sun knew what she was implying, yet neither wanted to address it directly. It would only make the situation worse.

"I'm sorry Blake! I just... Didn't know how to tell you..."

"How long?..." She asked, her lips curling her frown deeper than it had been previously, desperately attempting to quell the tears that threatened to fill her vision.

"How long _what_?..."

"How long have you been seeing her?..." She clarified, the irritation in her voice growing more evident with every word she said. Her hands found purchase on either side of the doorframe, almost as if she was denying Sun entrance, not that he had been welcome in the first place.

"Blake I-..."

" _HOW LONG_?!"

"You see? This is why I want to split! I can't live my life tied down to someone like..." Sun finally found the courage to look up at Blake's face, only to look away once more. "Ah come on, I'm trying to be nice Blake. Please don't make this hard..."

Blake continued to silently glare at him, the tears building up in her eyes.

"Look we obviously just wanted two different things out of this relationship, and I can't see either goal working out now for us..." Sun sighed, shrugging. Was it supposed to be this hard? "I guess both of us were crazy enough to think it would all come together in the end, like some stupid fairy tale. I thought I could give you the courage to be who you are, and not hide behind a bow."

Blake visibly winced.

"You said-... You told me you..." She trailed off, unable to summon the fortitude to finish her statement. She lacked the courage to say it now that she knew that she would never hear such words from Sun ever again.

"...I was wrong. I'm sorry..."

Yang huffed. She had seen enough. Activating Ember Celica, Yang gently moved Blake out of the doorway and into Weiss and Ruby's waiting arms before the blonde brawler turned to face Sun, her eyes lacking their usual shining brightness that was so typical of both her and her younger sister. "I think it's time for you to leave... _Now_."

Her voice was calm, yet carried authority that Sun was unaware it could possess. It terrified him.

"Yeah. You're right..." Sun muttered, turning his back to the blonde, walking down the hall slowly, but not before uttering the last three words that Blake would ever hear from him. "Goodbye... I'm sorry..."

Yang sighed before deactivating her gauntlets, slamming the door shut with a loud bang. Turning back to the rest of her team, Yang saw that the three of them had moved to Blake's bed, Ruby and Weiss on either side of their Faunus friend.

"He told me he loved me..."

The image shifted once more into a torrent of flights and sounds, yet this time Blake could not recognize the place. She looked down to find herself standing on an old wooden floor, rotten from age. Was this another part of her dream? It felt as if it were such, yet there was one major difference. She was consciously viewing the sight before her, not just living out the events.

She took in her surroundings, and was disturbed by what she saw. She was standing inside of an old decrepit building, with pieces of it's frame rotten and sections of the roof missing, revealing musty orange sky above, with smoke billowing out from somewhere to the west. It was in such a state of disrepair the best words Blake could think to describe it would be a skeleton. A shell.

"Come to finish the job have you?"

The voice of a well spoken woman snapped Blake out of her trance, causing her to glance over at the source to find a sight most interesting. Before her stood Wrath, his hood over his face as usual, standing over the crouched form of a lithe woman with a strange drape of cloth adorning her torso with the symbol of a white sun set against a black background adorning it. Blake had read of them many times, they were called tabards.

She had also been beaten quite frequently, if the scars and bruises littering her body were any indication. Her left eye was swollen completely shut and the lower half of her head was covered in dried blood, presumably from a nosebleed. Her lip had also been split a great deal, yet Blake was relatively sure that a split lip was the least of this woman's problems.

The sound of a blade being drawn turned Blake's attention back to Wrath, who was now wielding a strange sword, with glowing blue runes etched across the length of the blade. It looked as sharp, if not sharper, than a razor blade.

With a grunt of pain, the woman who had been kneeling at Wrath's feet pulled herself up to a standing position, her glare matching that of a bear who had been disturbed from it's hibernation or a wolf who's dinner had been stolen. Angered, yet defeated.

The woman seemed determined to not display this defeat however, her finger pointed in an accusing fashion at Wrath's face, her fingertip no more than a few inches from the man's face. "You'll look me in the eyes when I'm talking to..."

It was then that Wrath decided to remove his hood, causing the woman to gasp in horror, her glare melting away in but an instant, replaced instead by the look of sorrow, and pity.

"No... No... It's _you_... What've they done to you?..."

"I-..." Wrath tried, yet it seemed as if he could not find the words he was seeking.

"He's corrupted your mind. I know you can hear me in there! The real you!" The woman yelled, her glare now returned, yet not with hate, but with determination. "Think back! Try and remember the majestic streets of where you were born. Remember the splendor of life! You were a _champion_ once! This isn't you!"

"Don't make this harder than it needs to be..." Wrath said, though it was clear that the woman would be stopped by no mere words, evident by the air of domination that rested about her, despite her beaten state.

"Fight damn you! Fight his control! I know you can!" She cried, as she grabbed hold of Wrath's arms tightly, her voice nearly cracking from a lack of proper use. It was evident that she had been there for quite a while, whoever she was.

Wrath stood there silently, shaking his head every so often, as if conflicted by the situation at hand. Blake wanted nothing more than to go over to tell him to drop the blade. That what was about to happen was far from necessary. Blake was no fool. She knew what was about to happen, and she could tell Wrath was hardly a willing participant, despite what her eyes told her.

"What's going on in there Wrath?! What's taking so long?" A chilling voice from outside of the old building called, causing all three present to turn their heads to the door before Wrath and the woman turned to face each other once more.

"There... There's no more time for me. I'm done for. Finish me off..." The woman said, her facade of bravery finally breaking as she released her hold on Wrath's arms and let a tear fall down her cheek. "Do it or they'll kill us both. Remember your home! This world is worth saving!"

Wrath nodded solemnly and lifted his rune etched sword above his head, his glowing blue eyes filled with preemptive regret. Blake winced as he brought the blade down on the woman's neck, striking it's mark. Blake nearly gagged when she saw the woman's severed head thump to the floor, rolling some distance away before coming to a stop, the light fading from her eyes.

 _"...Light be with you..."_ Wrath muttered, before pulling his hood back over his head and sheathing his still bloodied blade. Setting as much determination as he could muster onto his features, the hooded man strode out of the doorway, into the destroyed landscape.

The dream shifted one last time then, twisting Blake's vision one more time. When the image finally ceased it's twisting and turning Blake found herself not in the decrepit old shack that she previously stood, but instead an opulent balcony looking down upon a city, still bustling with activity despite the late hour.

Also on the balcony, a young man with golden blonde hair resembling a lion's mane, dressed in seemingly expensive clothing, stood, looking over the city with a content smile on his face. It was the face of one who had seen much. Blake noted the boys age; he had to be no older than Ruby, though he seemed to radiate experience. He had already seen much of his world, already experienced his share of hardships. Yet he was still smiling.

The soft noise of shifting metal seemed to suddenly put the boy on alert, however upon turning to face the source his smile returned. There Wrath was, holding two steins filled with a reddish pink liquid, his hood down. He looked almost out of place in such a picture perfect setting, yet the young man seemed to pay such a detail little mind as Wrath handed him one of the mugs.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to let me have this stuff?" The young man asked as he gazed down at the liquid, swirling it around in the cup for a few moment before taking an experimental sip.

"It's _wine_. It wont kill you." Wrath replied, taking a much larger swig of his own drink, before striding over to the edge of the balcony, hopping up on the thick stone railing, making himself an impromptu lounging chair.

"Very well." The young man laughed, shaking his head at the behavior of his friend.

"So I hear that the peace negotiations went well." Wrath commented, his eyes turning to the canals and streets below, watching at the citizens of the city went about their daily lives.

"Yes... Vol'Jin is a much more agreeable sort than Garrosh. My father certainly agrees." The young man laughed, taking another sip from his mug, grimacing only slightly at the taste. "I even heard the two of them cracking jokes at one point during a break. Guess they thought no one could hear them."

"Well I'm sure ending hostilities between the Alliance and the Horde would put both Vol'Jin and Varian in high spirits for a good reason..." Wrath reasoned, turning his eyes back to the young man. "It'll make things like trade and travel easier for me, that's for sure."

A few minutes of silence then fell as the two observed the people of the city down below, both seemingly fascinated by the bustling citizens, yet in truth neither wanted to bring up the true reason that they had met.

"Wrath? I know that peace is something I always strive for, sometimes to a fault... But I have to ask... Do you think it's always the right answer?" The young man asked, deciding to bite the bullet.

"...No, I don't."

The blonde boy glanced down at his cup, seemingly disappointed, yet not entirely surprised by his friends answer, only to perk up again upon hearing his next words.

"But... I do know that both the Alliance and Horde fight for what is best for Azeroth. They may not always share the same views, or even the same ideality of peace, but when push comes to shove, you know as well as I do that the races of Azeroth will come together if if means keeping the world safe." Wrath mused, glancing down to his cup every so often.

"You say this with such certainty."

"Would your father say differently? After all he has seen?" Wrath asked, readjusting himself on the edge of the balcony so as to not fall and accidentally land on one of the many guards below. Blake glanced down at the guards, who were all looking up in worry. Evidentially Wrath had taken a tumble before, presumably onto one of them.

The blonde boy smiled upon hearing Wrath's question.

"No. He would say the same."

Minutes passed. Silent save for the occasional sound of one of the two men drinking from their steins and the clanking of armor from the guards down below. It was as if time itself was standing still, unwilling to relinquish the tranquility that currently ruled over the land.

"You know it's not over don't you?..." The blonde young man asked. And there it was. The real reason they had met on the balcony. The threat that the leaders of the Alliance and Horde had been discussing in the throne room of the high king of the Grand Alliance.

"It's not. _Not at all_. No one knows where that treacherous little green monster ended up..." Wrath sipped the liquid in the cup slowly. His face was not adorned with the slightest bit of worry however. "But regardless... I know that no matter what happens, no matter what gets thrown at us, Azeroth and it's people will survive, just as we always do. We've beaten back the forces of darkness many times before and we can do it again, of this I have no doubt."

"Yes... Your words ring true my friend..." The blonde young man said as he raised his cup up to Wrath. "For Azeroth?"

Wrath reached over and tapped his mug against the blonde young man's with a smile.

 _"For Azeroth_. _"_

* * *

The blaring of her alarm was the first thing that Blake became aware of as she was yanked out of her peaceful nights sleep, back into the world of the living. She attempted to resist it's call at first, opting to wrap the pillow she had been laying on over her ears, but was eventually roused to a sitting position.

Mere moments after Blake had surrendered, the alarm clock put itself into snooze mode after not being touched since it had started it's irritating call. Almost as if it were reveling in the victory.

As she glanced at the clock and noticed the time, Blake sighed and made to get ready, taking note of the absence of the rest of her team. Perhaps they had presumed that she needed the extra rest after being so sick? Tat had been over a week ago, so that was a stretch, but the reason she accepted, not wishing to dwell on such a trivial issue.

Dressing in her usual school attire, Blake began to ponder her dreams from the night before. The events that she had witnessed were confusion, to say the least. She thought of what Wrath and the other young man had said right before she had woken up; for Azeroth. What was 'Azeroth'? The city in which they had stood? A country even?

She had quite a bit to ask of Wrath when he next decided to show himself.

When she was finally ready to go, Blake silently made her bed and tied her bow into her hair. But just as she was about to turn away from her things, she noticed the necklace that Wrath had gifted her. As she began to stare, the crystal seemed to almost glow, as if beckoning her to adorn herself with it.

And so she did, not caring that the color would clash with the rest of her school uniform. She was never one to care much for fashion anyhow.

With that she departed, leaving her dorm room behind in search of both her team, and hopefully her breakfast.

* * *

When Blake finally found her friends among the throngs of students populating the cafeteria nearly 10 minutes had passed, which meant that the line that had already been considerable in length would now be too long to bear. Thankfully she was spared from such horror when she noticed that Yang was pointing to Blake's usual spot, with an untouched tray of pancakes laying patiently.

As Blake drew nearer however, she was able to just barely catch the tail end of what sounded like an important conversation taking place between the members of the two teams.

"And they say that the police are thinking about doing something _big_.." Pyrrha said, a somber look in her eyes. She seemed less lively than normal, though Blake equated this to her still waking up.

"Really? I just hope no one will get hurt..." Ruby replied, pushing around leftover bits of pancake around her syrup covered plate with her fork. She also lacked the usual spring in her step.

"They're the ones protesting. They know what risks they're taking." Weiss interjected, shrugging as if it were common sense, which to her credit it was. Her breakfast had barely been touched, though unlike the other two, such behavior was typical of Weiss.

"Morning everyone." Blake was almost instantly met with a chorus of hellos and good mornings before she planted herself in her seat, a content smile on her face. She knew that whatever they had been speaking of was important, but at the same time, she was in a good mood. She didn't need to have such a positive mood erased by bad news. Ignorance is bliss as they say.

No one else seemed to detect this plan of action however, for the moment Blake began to work on her breakfast, she finally noticed that nearly the entirety of their little group had stopped what they were doing to stare at her.

"So... You seem happy today." Jaune was the first to speak, though he seemed unsure as if he wanted to speak, if his balled up hands were any indication. His eyes seemed unable to rest on Blake's face, resembling a guilty child confessing to an angry parent.

"Yeah?" Blake glanced at Jaune confused, her head tilted at a slight angle. "Why? Shouldn't I be?"

"Oh no, don't get me wrong!" Jaune held his hands up defensively, his eyes going wide. Why was everyone acting so strange? What exactly had that conversation been about? Blake was quickly becoming more curious. "It's great that your happy and all it's just... You've been _'really'_ happy all week. Happier than usual."

"Maybe she found a sequel to 'Ninjas of Love' in a bookstore in Vale?" Yang whispered to Weiss, causing the heiress to snicker silently. Every member of team RWBY knew about Blake's little secret, but none of them ever confronted her, though in Ruby's case it was more because she just couldn't understand what the big deal was about ninjas falling in love. Yang and Weiss of course knew it could be ample blackmail material should they require it.

"Oh. Well I guess it's just because-..." Blake began, only to be cut off by a cry of pain. The group looked over the source to find Velvet and team CRDL, with it's leader holding Velvet's arm on the table, with his other hand yanking at Velvet's faunus appendages.

So much for her good mood.

"Ow! Come on Cardin! Stop it!" Velvet winced, half tempted to use the ray in her other hand to smack away the bully, though she refrained, unsure of what outcome would result from such actions. Surely nothing good for her.

"Oh great." Yang groaned, leaning her cheek against her arm. This guy never seemed to quit. "Time for our daily dose of Cardin."

"I think I'd rather take normal medicine..." Weiss gagged, sticking her tongue out. "Or just _poison_."

"Don't you ever get tired of harassing people Cardin?" Blake asked, rising from her seat before Jaune could even stand up, earning looks of surprise from everyone in her group. She was not usually the one to stand up to Cardin. Not that Velvet was going to complain.

"Pssh, you gonna stop me Belladonna?" Cardin sneered, releasing his grip on Velvet to rise to his full height. While he towered over most in the school when it came to height, Blake seemed completely unfazed by him.

"Yeah, maybe I will Winchester." Blake hissed Carin's last name as she began stalking over towards Cardin and putting herself between he and Velvet, who was backing away towards the combined forces of teams RWBY and JNPR.

" _Hey! Watch it!_ Your psychotic boyfriend isn't around to get in the way this time." Cardin threatened as he shoved Blake's shoulder, only to have her recover as quickly as he had shoved her, returning the gesture in kind.

"He's _not_ my _'boyfriend'_." Blake spat.

"Oh right. You went celibate after Sunny-Boy kicked you to the curb." Cardin laughed, only to silence himself when he noticed that Blake hadn't backed off. What was going on? Normally Blake would shut down at the mention of her ex, yet now she refused to back down.

Yang interjected before Cardin could ponder the situation any further however, placing her hands on her hips. "Hold up! Didn't Blake's friend tie you to a tree? You might want to reconsider who you're trash talkin' there big boy!"

"Stay outta this blondie!" Cardin snapped, smirking in satisfaction when he noticed Ruby holding one of her sisters arms in an attempt to keep her back.

Silence washed over the group for a few seconds, with Cardin and Blake staring daggers at each other before an idea popped into Cardin's head. A rare occasion. Though a dangerous one all at the same time.

"Fine. I'll make you a deal." The collective members of teams RWBY and JNPR gazed at the ginger haired racist in both curiosity and apprehension. While to any bystander who had little knowledge of Cardin's reputation, his statement appeared to be innocent in nature, any who knew him also could easily see the malicious intent behind his words. "You and I, today at the arena during sparring class. You win and I'll take back what I said and leave the _freak_ alone. For now."

"And if you win?" Blake asked, unsure if she really wanted to know the answer.

Cardin paused to think for a moment, before his twisted smirk returned to his face. It was not the same warm, yet kind smirk Wrath always gave Blake. No, this was the smile of a predator ready to pounce of his kill.

"Then I take the Schnee girl for a date." Cardin announced, before his voice dropped low, too low for anyone except for Blake to hear. "A _very long_ date."

Weiss made an overdramatic sound of choking, unaware of what had truly just been said, earning a laugh from Ruby.

Hearing no major objections from her team, besides the expected on from Weiss, Blake clenched her fists and bared her teeth. "Fine. My team is leagues ahead of yours anyway."

" _Nah, nah, nah_. 1 on 1." Cardin smirked, wagging his finger in front of Blake's face. She wanted to bite it off, she dearly did. However she wasn't exact,y sure where that finger had been. "Unless your scared of course."

"I'm not. I'll be there." Blake hissed one last time before spinning on her heel, rejoining her group of friends, while Cardin retreated to his own team.

" _Wait_ can't we talk about this?!" Weiss cried, glancing around at her various friends in desperation, though she was largely ignored by them, with Everyone's attention turned to Blake and Yang.

"You sure this is a good idea kitty-cat? Cardin isn't exactly one to fight fair you know..." Yang muttered, the worry on her face shown prominently.

"I don't care. Someone needs to teach him a lesson once and for all..." Blake sighed, shrugging before a small smile appeared on her face, fighting off the ire that she had been feeling for her soon to be arena opponent. "Besides, fighting dirty or not, Cardin can barely even beat up on Jaune at this point."

 _"Hey!"_

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Just be careful out there okay?" Once Yang received a nod of the head from Blake, the blonde brawler grinned cheekily. "Good. Now let's go get you ready to beat up a racist!"

Blake nodded in agreement once more, and with that the combined forces of team RWBY and JNPR went off to prepare Blake for the fight ahead. However secretly, Blake couldn't shake off the sinking feeling in her gut. The feeling that told her something major was about to occur.

Something irreversible...

* * *

 **So there you have it! I think I've given the biggest clue possible as to Wrath's race without either flat out stating it or using his language, but either way, it will be fully revealed next time! I originally had a small poll to decide who will be fighting Cardin but then the reviewer The Phoenix Wraith gave me a great idea; have them both beat up Cardin! It works out because now I don't have to kill half the writing I would have if only one fights. So that's what'll be doing! Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4: A Secret Undone

A Secret Undone

* * *

 **Hey! So here's the next chapter! Just two pieces of news for you guys. The next chapter might be a little bit delayed due to a few primary engagements, but it shouldn't be delayed by any more than a few days! Sorry to Raging Archon; I received your vote once I had already decided to write the chapter in it's current form, I promise the next time I do a voting thing it'll be up for at least a few days! ww1990ww; Wrath isn't Wrathion, though at the time of making up his name I hadn't actually factored that in, neat idea though!**

 **Also to Raging Archon; good job being the first to name Wrath's race! You get an internet cookie. And to answer your time setting question, Broken Wing is taking place essentially in the present. It will eventually move into the Legion expansion, which** **will end up being a major point of the story.**

 **Special thanks to Phoenix Wraith for giving me the idea for Cardin to get it handed to him by both Wrath and Blake!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Before beginning this chapter I ask that you remember those who had their lives robbed from them in the tragedies in Paris, Japan, Germany, Mexico and everywhere else on Friday. It sickens me to think about what those people went through in their final moments, and I hope that they have now found peace, wherever they may be.**_

* * *

"Blake Belladonna and Cardin Winchester, please take your places on either side of the arena." Goodwitch announced, her voice traveling to each and every corner of the room with little trouble. Everyone else had been nearly silent as the two students made their way to the arena. "This will be a standard torment style duel, first combatant to drop their opponents aura into the red is declared the winner."

"You're gonna regret fighting me." Cardin threatened Blake as he heaved his mace above his shoulder, his eyes locked with her own.

"We'll see about that." Blake taunted right back, her hand already on Gambol Shroud's hilt. However Cardin noticed one thing that even Blake seemed to miss. Her stance was relaxed, her eyes barely watching his movements. She was overconfident, and did not even perceive her opponent to be a challenge. Cardin smirked; this was going to be easy.

"Break his legs!" Nora yelled suddenly, smashing the veil of silence like a child wielding a hammer against a glass window.

"And his arms!" Yang added, her own voice doing nothing to quell the echo that Nora's yelling had created. She began to shadow box in the stands, nearly smacking her younger sister a couple of times.

"Just don't lose! I'm begging you; Just. Don't. Lose!" Weiss cried, her hands clasped in front of her in a ball. The last thing she wanted was to suffer through a date with someone like Cardin. "Please! Dating him would be worse than dating Jaune!"

 _"Hey!"_

"Are both combatants ready?" Goodwitch asked, receiving small nods from both sides, though neither broke their gaze from their opponent. "Then let the match..."

A few seconds of tense silence passed, amplified by the soft sound of Glynda's stopwatch ticking quietly. The grips of the two combatants weapons tightened, Blake's finger on Gambol Shroud's trigger, Cardin's wrist tilted in a swinging angle, ready to smack Blake out of the way should she make for a hasty attack.

"...Begin!"

Blake was on Cardin in a second, using Gambol Shroud's sheath to knock the larger students incoming mace out of her path, following up with a fierce kick to the abdomen, before the boy was able to put up any sort of defense, effectively knocking the wind out of Cardin, along with draining a chunk of his aura from the get-go.

Blake's group of friends, along with a few Faunus who came in hopes of watching Cardin learn a lesson, began to cheer from the stands.

"Woo! Make him eat his own mace!" Nora whooped, throwing her arms in the air along with a grin that worried those who had made the unfortunate mistake of sitting near her, minus Ren, who at this point was used to her strange behavior.

Blake was easily winning the duel to anyone who was watching. So far the only person who had taken damage was Cardin. Blake was completely untouched. Even Weiss had begun to cheer, now confident that she would not have to do end time alone with Cardin

As they continued to clash on the arena floor, Blake finally began to take notice of something peculiar. While Cardin had so far been unable to land a hit on her, she was only landing a few hits as well. Cardin was biding his time, fighting defensively. But for what?

Blake was not the only one to notice however. In the stands a certain Arc boy and his hoplite partner had taken interest in how the battle was unfolding. With each strike that Blake landed, the looks of worry on their faces grew, unlike their companions who were whooping and hollering.

"Hey are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Jaune finally asked, his voice barely above a whisper so as to not alert his other friends.

"Yes... This is a strange fighting tactic for Cardin. He's not even trying to use his strength to his advantage..." Pyrrha pressed her closed fist against her lips, her eyes narrowed to slits. "It's almost like... He's letting Blake attack him..."

"Hey wait... Look!... It's Sky and Russel..." Jaune said, noticing Cardin's teammates casually strolling towards the back exit, a small box in the hand of Sky. "What're they doing over there?..."

"Knowing Team CRDL? Nothing _good_."

"I have a bad feeling about this..." Jaune whispered to Pyrrha as Blake landed another series of hits on her opponent, who still had yet to land even a single hit on Blake.

"So do I..." Pyrrha said, unconsciously scooting closer to Jaune as she did so, eliciting a blush from the blonde knight.

As the fight continued to drag on, with Blake with the clear advantage, Cardin began to grow worried. His defensive strategy, while effective so far, had began to weaken as more and more of his aura faded away, the blows from Gambol Shroud doing more and more harm with each swing.

He could not keep this up much longer. His plan had to come together soon.

"Man Cardin, you couldn't fight your way out of a paper bag!" Yang yelled from the stands, waving both her hands in the air with her middle fingers raised as she did some sort of strange little dance, the grin never leaving her face.

Upon seeing this Cardin's anger finally reached it's boiling point. With a mighty war cry, Cardin began swinging his mace recklessly in his opponents direction, intent on batting Blake across the room with his mace.

However, his rage quickly unbalanced him leaving him open for an opportunity for counter attack, an opportunity that Blake gladly took mere seconds after Cardin's rage induced rampage had begun.

Waiting for just the right moment, just when Cardin was swinging down at her head, Blake activated her semblance, teleporting to just beside Cardin's blow where she viciously slashed Gambol Shroud at his face, giving him a large gash from forehead to cheek that immediately began gushing crimson tears.

Cardin stumbled back in a near drunken manner, clutching his face as blood leaked down his cheek. She had cut him, slashed his face right open in front of a crowd of students and teachers. However unbeknownst to the others in the stadium, Cardin almost had to hide his mouth to cover the smile appearing on his face. All according to plan.

Goodwitch voice then echoed throughout the stadium, ringing in the fingers ears like a mocking imp chirping in his ear. "Cardin's aura has now dropped into the red! I declare Blake Belladonna the win-..."

He would not let it end like this. He would get revenge for what Blake's little friend had done to him on Halloween night. It was time for vengeance.

" _NOW_!" Cardin bellowed, his own voice nearly overtaking Glynda's own, and within moments a loud click was heard, followed by a strange yellow light shooting out from each side of the arena floor, flying together to form a dome that covered the arena completely like a turtles shell.

"What the-..." Blake cut herself off when she noticed movement to her right. Bending her knees in anticipation, Blake attempted to call on her shadowy semblance to dodge the incoming attack...

...only to end up flying across the arena floor like a rag doll, coming to an abrupt stop when she impacted the yellow tinted dome, her body laying in a crumpled heap at the edge of the arena.

" _Blake_!" Ruby cried as she and the other members of teams RWBY and JNPR sprang out of their seats and all jumped towards the arena. Ruby was there first, slamming her hands on the dome. A force field, and a strong one at that. "Come on Blake! Get up!"

Blake's vision was hazy. She had been hit, she knew that much. Did her semblance fail to activate for some reason? Was she just too slow to dodge the attack? Her arm itched. She was about to reach over to quell the sensation when she finally looked down at her arm, only to see blood, and that her arm had been slashed open by the sharp claws that made up the body of Cardin's mace.

"You're gonna pay for that!" Cardin roaring brought her back to the situation at hand. He was running over with a vengeance. With a curse, the boy grabbed Blake's hair, the intent to yank Blake's head back at an unnatural angle to cause her pain, only to grab her bow instead.

He pulled. She felt her bow unravel.

Time stood still. The only sound that Blake could hear was that of her own pounding heart, threatening to beat out of her chest. Cardin was standing there, her undone bow in his hand, and an astonished look on his face. She felt the air dance around her exposed ears.

Then it all came rushing back at once.

"You... You're a-..." Cardin shocked voice trailed away, soon replaced by a twisted smile that hung on his face, a predator ready for the kill. He swung his mace around, taunting Blake. "Oh this is gonna be _fun..."_

The rest of teams RWBY and JNPR attacked the forcefield relentlessly, steel and dust striking the barrier, yet it never gave way. It was far too strong to break through by traditional means. Weiss had even resorted to her glyphs, yet even their power did little to the dust powered shell.

That did not mean that the teams would give in. They would attack until either the field or their weapons gave.

However in the middle of the chaos, Ruby stopped her attacks for but a moment. Was it getting colder or was it just her?

She shrugged it off and continued to slam Crescent Rose against the shield.

"Come on!" Cardin taunted as he swung at Blake once more, just barely missing his mark as she rolled out of the attack. Without her semblance and an injured arm, avoiding the deadly blows was becoming a much more demanding task for the Faunus. "I thought cats were supposed to have claws!"

Weiss stopped attacking to notice something horrible. The various human students were no longer booing and jeering at Cardin but were now cheering him on, a few throwing small insults at Blake. She may have even joined in their cheers once upon a time, her opinion of the Faunus colored in a bad light for as long as she could remember.

But now the only emotion flowing through her was worry for her friend.

"Cardin Winchester! Cease your assault _at once_! That is an _order!"_ Goodwitch yelled as she threw her own attacks against the dust shield, however despite the force of her blow, the blast only managed to crack the shield, though the crack was a decent one.

Ruby began shivering. The room was definitely growing colder.

"Come on pussy-cat, we're not done!" Cardin taunted, attempting to kick Blake, only for the injured Faunus to dodge out of the way of his blow and slash at his arm with her blade, cutting it open, his blood creating a crimson sheathe for her sword. "Argh! _Bitch_!"

Blake felt tears stinging her eyes, but fought them back. She would not be weak, she would defeat him, foul play or not. She took a fighting position, ready to do what had to be done. She would never be a killer like Adam, but she would be damned if she did not defend herself. She wouldn't run anymore. She would not need her semblance to defeat Cardin.

That was when she noticed her necklace glowing. A soft purple light emanated from the crystal like a small beacon. It was as if the crystal was reacting to the situation at hand, her emotions.

Her thoughts began to wander as Cardin was recovering from his wound. The noise around her slowly dissipated. The sound of Cardin cursing, of the various blows being made against the shield, even the sound of her own breathing. For but a moment she was surrounded by silence.

Her thoughts inevitably wandered to Sun. How he would be next to her standing against this threat. His last words to her. How much pain she had been through in the last year.

Her thoughts began to twist and turn as her mind continued to drift. Slowly Sun's smiling face began to fade away in her minds eye. His face slowly dissipated into the void, replaced by another. One covered by a hood.

Sun.

Sun..

Sun...

 _...Wrath..._

A rushing of wind was heard. Before Blake could refocus on the situation, her necklace was suddenly ripped from her neck by some unknown force, the crystal landing on the floor between Cardin and Blake.

Silence.

Slowly purple clouds began to form around the crystal, building up the structure of what appeared to be a crude doorway, with the crystal floating at the tip of the arch. It was a doorway, seemingly disappearing into nothing, a void.

Suddenly, before Cardin could even think to dodge, a large purple hand, made of some sort of dark energy, shot from the mass of clouds, capturing him in their grip and launching him against his own shield with a sickening crunch. holding him there limp as a rag doll. Blake was relatively sure that it wasn't the shield that made that sound.

A moment later a man stepped out of the portal. The hand of dark energy had originated from this man's palm. But that was not what caught the attention of so many in the arena. It was his armor that came into view once the man's cloak fell to the ground. Armor that the crafter had obviously had put quite a bit of time into.

The plate was either a black or deep purple in different places, with glowing spaces on the armor which radiated a blue energy. Skull designs dominated the armor. It was designed to insure the terror of an opponent, and it was currently working wonders on Cardin.

The man turned to face Blake. His face was a bit more attractive from those she was used to seeing, that was for sure. Nothing seemed completely out of place however, aside from his ears, which appeared much larger than the average humans.

But then she saw them. His eyes. His glowing blue eyes. Her breath caught in her throat when she finally realized just who she was looking at. Wrath. "Blake are you-..."

Wrath trailed off when he noticed that Blake's bow was missing. He was ready to ask her when he trailed his eyes down to her arm, finally noticing the large tear on her skin. It was dripping with fresh blood. Blake's blood, courtesy of the man that he currently held aloft. He had caused this. He had been the one who was responsible for the state his friend was in.

" _Band'or bash'a no falor talah_..."* Wrath hissed turning back to Cardin, his voice nearly overcome with anger. With a snap of the wrist, Wrath sent Cardin to another end of the force field, while in his other hand he focused a ball of icy blue magic, launching it towards Cardin's chest. It found the mark, making the ginger haired man scream in agony.

It felt as if his heart was slowing down, being frozen from inside of his body.

Wrath was silently as he trudged up to his opponent, using the strange magical hand he conjured to slam Cardin against the shield once more. Unbeknownst to him, he was repeatedly slamming Cardin against the already sizable crack that Glynda had made on the shield earlier. With every impact the crack grew larger.

Suddenly the blows ended, the repeating sound of armor slamming against barrier quickly replaced by silence. The members of teams RWBY and CRDL long since ended, the group now watching the events unfolding in the dome. It was quiet for but a moment.

The sound of a blade being drawn broke the silence, it's menacing hiss all the more prevalent thanks to the lack of noise. Blake snapped her head to up see Wrath holding a blade. The same blade from her dream; the same blade that had ended that woman's life. And he was walking towards Cardin with it.

 _"STOP!"_ Wrath froze, his eyes losing their rage when he felt a hand rest on his shoulder. Turning on his heel, he found not another opponent, but Blake covered in his cloak that he had earlier discarded, her ears hidden by the dark fabric. "Don't do it... You know what you're about to do is wrong..."

His eyes seemed to flash with realization for a moment, quickly replaced by what Blake could only guess was a look of sadness. With a sigh, the blue eyed man walked over to Cardin, kneeling down to tear Blake's bow from the shattered grip of the boy.

Blake found the bow in her hand once more a moment later.

Without saying so much as a word Wrath turned away from Blake, picking up the discarded crystal and grasping it in his palm. Within a few seconds a gate made out of the strange shadow clouds had appeared on the arena floor once more.

Wrath was through it before Blake could reach for him, the doorway dissipating upon his departure, leaving only the crystal necklace laying innocently on the ground, as if it was just any old piece of jewelry. A piece of jewelry that Blke was all too quick to snatch from the floor once more.

Blake's attention was finally redirected to her present situation when Ruby let out a war cry that a fully fledged huntresses would have been proud of, swinging Crescent Rose down on the shield, it's blade slicing it's way through the dust field, causing the entire structure to shatter in a million different shards.

The rest of Team RWBY was on Blake in a second, their bodies being used as some form of shield to protect their friend from the many glares being sent their way. They could take the glares. The ire from the more racist factions in the school population was something that they were all to happy to deal with. Their only mission now was to get Blake out of there.

"Your show now sis." Yang said, her gauntlets aimed at the crowd, ready to block any student fired projectiles to come their way.

Ruby nodded, activating her essence after wrapping the rest of her team in a bear hug, all 4 girls retreating from the room, all while the other students and teachers ran over to the shattered form that was Cardin.

* * *

She was calm. It was going to be alright. Surely only a few people saw before Wrath stepped in right? Nothing to worry about.

"Blake. I dont think the alarm clock did anything to you..."

Ok, maybe she was a little anxious.

"C'mon kitty-cat, just sit down. Pacing is just going to make you more freaked out." Yang said as she sat on Blake's bed, patting the spot next to her after moving Gambol Shroud, which Blake had thrown when they had first entered the room.

"I think I have a right to be freaked out!" Blake, still wrapped in the cloak, cried as her pace only increased to match her growing panic. Who was she kidding? Everyone in the stadium had seen her!

"Ok. Maybe you do..." Yang muttered, but put a somewhat forced smile on her face. It would do no good for Yang or the others to show concern or worry while Blake was in such a state. "But still, pacing isn't going to change anything. Just sit, let your mind calm down for a sec."

"Easy for you to say!" Nevertheless Blake complied with her friends request, burying her head in her hands the moment that she made contact with the bed, muffling her voice. "I can't believe this..."

Yang sighed, placing her hand on Blake's uninjured arm. "Look, I know it doesn't look good, but I'm sure everything's gonna be fine. I mean the absolute worst case scenario is a few students dislike you... None of our friends are going to turn on you, they never w-..."

"Don't preach to me about friends not turning on one another..." Blake interrupted with venom in her voice, moving her shoulder out of Yang's grip.

A moment later Blake's crystal began to faintly glow. Knowing what was about to happen, Blake haphazardly tossed the necklace to the middle of the room, watching silently as the shadowy doorway from before began to take shape once more, from which Wrath stepped out a moment later.

Blake was standing in a moment, her gaze hardened despite the panic that still lay under her glare. "I didn't need defending Wrath..."

"You were wounded Blake; I wasn't going to let him hurt you." The man answered almost immediately, his gaze almost as hard as the one he was receiving. Ruby nearly intervened, making to put herself between the two, but was stopped by Yang's arm, along with a shake of the head from the same girl.

"I'm not a child. I can take care of myself." Blake said, her face drawing closer to Wrath's. His eyes were locked onto hers, yet they lacked the fire that Blake expected to find.

"...I recognize that." Wrath acknowledged, causing Blake's eye's to widen in surprise for just a moment before they returned to their original glare, though she opted to back away a bit. "I realize you would have defeated him without my help, but that doesn't mean-...'

"So then why did you step in? I could've taken him!" She interrupted, though the anger in her voice was quickly losing it's ferocity.

"Because what kind of friend would I be if I didn't?"

Her anger was shattered. Her shoulders fell, her gaze softening. Wrath's eyes retained their drive, though Blake could now see there was no anger in them. It was concern. Concern for her.

" _Fine_.." Blake let herself crack a genuine smile for a moment, before it was replaced with a determined grin. "But next time, let me deal with him."

"Understood." Wrath laughed, before reaching into a small black cloth pouch that was hanging from his belt, pulling out a light blue roll of cloth that seemed to glimmer in the sunlight streaming through the window. "Sit. Let's see if we can get that bandaged up Before you bleed all over the place."

Blake slowly shook her head. "My aura will heal it eventually. Don't waste-..."

"Oh just freakin' let him!" Yang interrupted her friend, throwing her arms up.

Wrath had to hold back his laughter when Blake complied, holding her still bleeding arm out to him, which he got to work wrapping up with the blue cloth.

Blake nearly sighed in contentment when the fabric touched her wound. She had expected to feel a stinging pain, or at least a bit of discomfort, but instead was feeling the exact opposite. It was as if the bandage was healing her the moment it touched her skin.

"So question. How did you even know she was fighting?" Ruby asked when the silence in the room was beginning to grow uncomfortable.

"That crystal that I gave her? It's a Scourgestone." Wrath answered, never taking his gaze away from Blake as he worked on her arm, using small bits of his power to further numb Blake's wound.

"Oh okay!... What's that?" Ruby pressed, completely stumped.

"It's a gem that I'm able to see and hear out of, and communicate through if the one holding the stone know what they're doing." Wrath explained, a small smile on his face. He would have to teach them sometime. "Think of it like one of your scrolls, just tiny. It also lets me create 'Death Gates', the thing I've been using to travel to your world, though it only allows me to travel to the location of the Scourgestone."

Weiss was quick to interrupt in the conversation. "Wait, what do you mean by see ou-..."

"And _done_!" Wrath proudly explained, displaying Blake's bandaged arm with a grin on his face. He was getting better at this whole 'first aid' thing.

After Wrath finally released her arm, Blake slipped the hood off of her head and made to put on her bow, but was stopped by Wrath's hand finding purchase on her raised elbow.

"You really shouldn't cover them." He said, lowering his hand.

"Why not?" Blake tilted her head to the side ever so slightly. Wrath froze at this. Why did he want her to keep it off? He quickly came up with a passable excuse, nearly tripping over his own words.

"Everyone knows now. It's not like they'll forget you have them." He shrugged, hoping to sound convincing, before nearly silently adding. "And besides, I like them."

"You like them?" Blake asked, causing Wrath to recoil. How had she heard him? He had practically whispered those words yet she had evidently heard them clear as day. He got his answer when one of her ears twitched. Of course; amplified hearing.

"Have I ever said I didn't?"

"Well no but yours isn't exactly the popular opinion among humans." Blake explained, a silent sigh escaping her. She was going to be dealing with quite a few of those humans soon enough.

"Do I look human?"

"I dunno. Sorta."

"As do you. Yet you aren't."

"Uh... _What_?" Ruby interrupted, attempting to keep track of the statements being thrown around on her fingers. It was going about as well as one would expect.

"Don't worry. What you look like doesn't matter, or at least shouldn't matter, to anyone." Wrath put his hand on Blake's shoulder for a moment, giving it a reassuring squeeze before the portal, the death gate, began to form once again.

Blake nodded silently before removing the cloak she had been wearing, holding the dark cloth up to Wrath, but he merely held his hand up, denying the fabric. "Keep it. I can always get another one."

"Thanks..."

"But before I go... Would you ever want to see each other more often? Just do stuff?" Wrath noticed Blake's suddenly hesitant face after a few moments of awkward silence, and laughed. "As friends I mean."

Blake smiled, her sudden spike in nerves calmed once more. "As friends."

After a few more minutes of idle chatter between the occupants of the room Wrath clapped his hands together, interrupting Ruby's rant on weapons. "Anyway, I should get going! It's nearly time for dinner! Bye now!"

"Wait, can I just ask-..." Blake attempted, but before she could even finish her statement Wrath fell into the portal without another word, the clouds dissipating behind him. He was making a habit of it Blake noted.

"So... As _friends_ huh?" Yang whispered to herself, quiet enough that she was almost sure even Blake would not be able to hear her. "Baby steps."

"Wha?" Blake asked. While she had heard Yang saying something, she could not quite make it out due to Weiss shuffling around a few papers on the desk as she fussed about with her hair.

"Oh nothing! You feeling better?" Yang asked, a hopeful grin appearing on her face.

"Yeah..." Blake glanced down at the bow, a smile appearing in her face. She had an idea as to what she could do with this. "I do. I... Finally feel better."

"Good." Yang says with a warm smile that turns into a grin as she throws her arms around Weiss shoulders, the young heiress squeaking at the sudden impact. "So... Who's up for _'Scary Movie Monday'_ in team JNPR's room?"

"Do they Know that we'll be there this time?" Blake asked, the smile never leaving her face.

"Yes mom!..." Yang laughed, shaking her head. "Man Jaune nearly jumps out of one little window and all of a sudden you all become no fun!"

"Well maybe if you hadn't grabbed his shoulders and screamed 'Kali Ma', then he wouldn't have Tried to jump out the window!" Ruby interjected with a laugh of her own, almost matching Yang's in volume.

"Yeah, yeah."

"...Is that an megaphone?"

" _Yee_ -up." Yang puts on a shit-eating grin, rushing out of the room with Weiss close behind, hoping to stop whatever torture she was about to force the other team to endure.

Blake rolled her eyes at her teams antics, a smile on her face before she made to follow her friends into team JNPRs room. However, mid-stride she stopped, turning on her heel to face Ruby, who was texting someone on her scroll.

"Hey Ruby?"

"Sup?" Ruby said, looking up from her scroll.

Blake held up her bow slowly, bringing it to the younger girls line of sight. With trembling voice she asked, "Can you just tie this on my arm? I don't want to try while I'm still wrapped up."

Ruby smiled. So someone had finally gotten through to Blake. "Sure."

Ruby bounded over in a second, practically snatching the bow from Blake's hand before she got to work, tying it in a traditional style to the Faunus's unijured arm while Blake watched.

A moment later Ruby announced that she was finished. Blake strolled over to glance in the mirror to admire her handiwork. It did look much better on her arm.

With that, she turned to Ruby, giving the girl a small nod before they turned to leave, locking their door behind them, ready for a night full of scary movies in team JNPRs abode.

She really did feel much better.

.

.

 _"KALI MA!"_

 _"AAHHH! DAMNIT YANG!"_

 _"NO JAUNE! NOT THE WINDOW!"_

* * *

"So do you feel like telling me how you managed to lose your favorite cloak?" The blonde young man asked, another glass of wine in his hand as he stared at Wrath, who's hood was down around his shoulders, the new cape caught under his back.

Wrath shrugged, seemingly uninterested at the lose of his favorite cloak. "Frostblight ate it."

"Frostblight? Your undead dragon? He ate it, huh?" The young man asked, the humor in his voice not quite lost upon his Death Knight companion.

"Exactly." Wrath said, making a jaw with his hands as if to emphasis his point. "In one big chomp. Tragic really."

The blonde young man chuckled. "Very well. You are entitled to your secrets."

"Aw, don't believe me?"

"Eh, call it a hunch."

A few minutes of silence passed between the two. However as time passed the silence began to become kore and more uncomfortable for one of the balcony's visitors. He turned to face his friend once more.

"Tell me something Wrath... Have you ever loved anybody?"

Wrath nearly froze at this, though he never let the shock show openly on his face. "Hmm... That's a good question... I think so, though I can't say for certain."

"You think so?"

"Well I've never been in love before, so I don't exactly have a point of reference." Wrath pauses to look down at his wine. His thoughts drifted to Blake. Her laughter, her smile, her eyes, and yes, her ears. Why was he thinking of her suddenly? "I can't be sure, so why let the emotions control me?"

"Interesting outlook. I wish I could live my daily life in such a manner."

"What do you mean?" Wrath asked, his voice laced with the position. He was relatively sure he knew what his friend would say, yet he let him speak. Assumptions never ended well in his experience.

"To not have to think about such-..."

Wrath interrupted him right there. He was right. "Is this about the suitors arriving next month?"

"...Yes..."

"You need to stop worrying about that. Your father isn't forcing you to choose a bride quite yet..." Wrath laughed as he glanced down to the citizens in the bustling streets below. "Knowing him, he would be happier to see you marry a farmer that you loved instead of a noble you barely knew. He wants you to be happy, that's his main goal in all of this."

"I know... I just-..." The young man took a moment to compose himself, running his fingers through his mane of blonde hair. "I just want to find someone in my own time. No gimmicks, no arrangements beforehand."

"You will. Don't worry." Wrath sipped his wine, giving a content sigh. He always enjoyed these moments. Moments of peace and tranquility. "Who knows, you might end up meeting this mysterious 'love of your life' at the ceremony."

"I highly doubt that."

"Yet you believe Death Knights possess the capability to love?"

"If you were incapable of love, how would you be capable of compassion or kindness?" The young man was quick with his retorts, and the smirk on his face was about as obvious as Wrath's glowing eyes.

"Mm... I suppose your argument is a valid one." Wrath surrendered, his cup finding it's way to his lips once more.

"So you admit that you are able to love then?"

"No I-..." He stopped. His thoughts were dominated once more by images Blake. His desire to protect her. His anger upon seeing her in danger. He was no stranger to anger, being a death knight. But seeing her in danger, it triggered something in him. Something major. "I suppose-... It wouldn't be impossible."

"Good to know." The young man finished the last of his wine and clanged the mug against the stone balcony, causing Wrath to turn to him. "Shall we return to the wonderful world of diplomacy my elven friend?"

"Yes..." Wrath smiled fondly as Blake's smiling face crossed his mind one final time one last time before throwing his hood back over his head. "Let's."

* * *

 *** Prepare to taste the true chill of death...**

 **And that's the chapter! Now a question for all of you. I need to think about what the Christmas special will be for this fic, and I was just wondering if the RWBY universe had it's own name for Christmas? If it does please let me know! Oh also, Happy 11th Birthday to World of Warcraft! Other than that thank you for reading and have an excellent day!**

 **Edit; Hoo boy I found a lot of spelling errors after I put this sucker up. They should mostly be fixed now. Oh, I also forgot to mention I'm probably going to be starting a one-shot collection series too of little events that wouldn't have flowed too well within the main story, but were still ideas I had issues with just tossing to the side. You can say they're cannon or non-cannon (as cannon as a WoW/RWBY fic can be anyways.) I'll try to stick to main points of the story but don't be surprised if a relationship flashes forwards in the one-shots from time to time. They'll still eventually end up somewhere in the storyline. Have a good day!**


	5. Chapter 5: The Past Returns

**Hello there everyone! Just a few pieces of information before starting this. The first is that I decided to write a Thanksgiving special for this AU; you can find it on my profile if you want to give it a read. The second piece is that while Wrath's dream is important, I urge you to skip it if you are avoiding Legion spoilers. His dream will end when the _italicized_ writing ends; you have been warned! Oh and third; I made a cover! Did that in 5 minutes with some random art tool; I'm rather proud of myself for not making it look completely stupid!... -cough-**

 **Pheonix Paladin; Yes, Blake will eventually learn Wrath's name! Though I ask you this, do you think even Wrath knows his own name? And don't worry, Wrath can still be a little vain. Oh and thanks for clearing up the Christmas situation for me! Makes things much easier!**

 **ww1990ww; Anduin will indeed eventually become involved with a character from Team RWBY, though for now I'll be keeping that a mystery! And you'll learn more of Wrath's story soon enough, don't worry.**

 **Raging Archon; Whew, you have no idea how hard it is to make these Thallassian translations from. There's this site that gives a big old list of Thallassian words, but I just sort of have to adapt the wording so that it fits its English counterpart, so excuse any stilted or poor translations. (Took me 20 minutes to write the Thallassian in this chapter alone.) Also I'm always open to posting a screenshot of what I believe Wrath looks like on my profile or something if that would help, though the thought of a Blood Elf Nixxiom made me laugh more than it should have. Oh and a final point, yes, there's already a threat in Remnant; one that will rear it's head very soon.**

 **Happy reading!**

* * *

The Past Returns

* * *

 _"He's go-... I'm sorry Andu-..."_

 _"I'm not r-... Stormwi-..."_

 _"You hav-... You're the-... Now..."_

 _"He d-... Like-... True hero..."_

 _"All hail-... Light-..."_

 _"You want to refor-... We have no idea wh-... Destroy us all!"_

 _"Retrie-... The sh-... Receive-... His blessing..."_

 _"The soul-... Bolvar For-..."_

 _"The corru-... Overwhe-... Darkness!"_

 _"Purge the bla-... The suffering-... Malevolence..."_

 _"Stop thi-... Destr-... Before it's too late!"_

 _"The Burning-... Can't risk-..."_

 _"We must-... World may perish-... Felfire!"_

 _"Wra-... I love-... Don't-... Blades-... Control you!"_

 _"Legion-... Unstoppable-... Burn..."_

* * *

Wrath shot up, clutching his head in his hands as he let out a yell of surprise, throwing the sheets that had been covering him off of his bed in a gale of icy winds. It had been a dream. Just a dream.

When Wrath finally pulled his head from his heads, he found that he was still in the castle. Still in the opulent bedroom that he had fallen asleep in. Still among those he trusted.

He barely registered the guards as they broke his door in, swords drawn, ready to fight off whatever threat had broken into the room, only to find Wrath sitting in his head, his eyes filled with sorrow. He gave only a curt nod when the guard captain asked if he was alright. He did not even respond when the guards began to shuffle of out the room, one even wishing him a good rest of the night.

No, none of that mattered.

The only thing that he could see in his minds eye as he stared down at his hands, fingers dancing with glowing blue runic power, was the image of Blake's tear stained face, and the unbrideled terror in her amber eyes as green flames danced on the land around her.

Eyes that had been staring at the burning remains of Beacon.

* * *

It had been a month since the fight. A month since Blake's true race had been uncovered at the hands of Cardin, who was making good progress in recovery, though he still could not fight. It had also been a month since Wrath and Blake had begun to see each other much more regularly. It was to the point that besides classes Blake seemed to spend almost every other day with Wrath.

It was for this reason that Blake was now walking to town with three tagalongs in tow. Ruby, Jaune, and Pyrrha had finally grown tired of seeing so little of their friend, and after much insisting, and in Ruby's case begging, Blake finally relented, promising to take them with her the next time she met with Wrath.

As they walked down the streets of Vale, Blake tuned out the conversation of her friends in favor of gazing at all of the different shops and homes preparing their Christmas decorations, some with basic lights, while others brought out entire inflatable Santas.

Suddenly Pyrrha began to say something that turned Blake's attention back to the conversation her friends were having.

"...-After the Faunus led riots spilled into downtown Vale police fired tear gas into crowds in order to control the situation, after which the crowd dispersed into more manageable packs that police could quickly make arrests with." Pyrrha said, reading the news article on her scroll out to her friends as they walked down the streets of Vale.

"Was anyone hurt?" Ruby asked, her eyes filled with concern. She could never quite understand why the Faunus were so hated. What was wrong with being a little different? Isn't that what makes life interesting?

"Um... _No!_ No one was hurt. The police only arrested a few people. Everyone's fine." Pyrrha's voice nearly cracked. Looking down at her scroll again she saw the truth staring back at her in bold black letters.

The first rioter death had occurred during that incident; a Faunus boy who had presumably been cornered by human extremists. They found his severed ears and tail in a bloody mess tossed carelessly aside a few feet from his horribly burnt and disfigured body.

"Oh okay! Good." Ruby's mood seemed to brighten considerably once Pyrrha had confirmed the lack of injured, though Jaune looked less than convinced as he turned to Blake.

"Hey Blake are you sure you don't want to just put your bow on? I mean not that we don't like the way you look but with all these riots going on-..."

Blake was quick to shoot the knight down. " _No_ Jaune."

 _"But-..."_

"I spent a long long time hiding behind my bow, and I'm finally able to be _myself._ I'm not going to go back to hiding again because some rioters got out of control." Blake explained, never losing her stride, her amber eyes never tearing themselves from the street ahead.

"It's your choice to make." Pyrrha muttered as she closed her scroll and stored it, a look of worry adorning her face. The last thing she wanted to see was Blake hurt, but she was not a child, she knew what she was doing. "We won't stop you either way."

After a few more minutes of tension filled walking, the group finally drew near an alley, at which point Blake seemed to slow down considerably, eventually coming to a complete stop at the mouth of the alleyway.

"Blake? Is something wrong?" Ruby asked as she and the others drew closer to Blake, who shrugged her shoulders as she scanned the area around her, as if seeking something or someone out.

"Um... Well sort of. Wrath said he would be meeting us h-..." Blake's statement was cut short, replaced by a surprised scream, when a blast of shadowy energy grabbed ahold of her, the tendrils of darkness pinning her arms to her sides. Before any of her friends could respond, the dark hand yanked the screaming Blake off the ground into the alley.

 _"BLAKE!"_ Pyrrha cried as she, Jaune, and Ruby all drew their weapons and charged into the alley, expecting to find some sort of horrific scene. Perhaps a Grimm that had somehow made it's way into Vale? A psycho with a grudge against faunus even?

However once their eyes finally adjusted to the sudden change in lighting, they found not a monster or a mugger, but instead Wrath, who was laughing as he attempted to hold Blake in a hug grip as she laughed right back, trying to sqruim away. Though it certainly did not appear that she was trying all that hard.

The three lowered their weapons once they realized exactly what had happened, though none of the weapons had hit the floor even nearly as fast as their mouths had. Ruby was pretty sure she felt a fly find its way into hers.

"What-... _What the?..."_

Blake, upon realizing they were being watched, ducked down and elbowed Wrath in the gut, causing him to lose his grip, at which point she used her semblance to teleport behind Wrath as he attempted to grab her again, causing him to nearly trip forwards into a wall.

Wrath was about to turn to face Blake again, his hands glowing with dark energy, when he finally noticed the others staring at he and the Faunus, their eyes the size of dinner plates.

 _"Reash... Bal'a dash! Blake a meseason lo ordan nubuash daoth'ores."_ **(Well... Hello there! Blake you appear to have a few followers.)** Wrath said as a smile appeared on his face. Blake couldn't help but to notice something however. Wrath's smile seemed much more forced than usual, almost as if he was putting on an act.

Wrath was worried about something.

For a moment it was silent. Ruby, Jaune, and Pyrrha all stared at the blue eyed man. After a few moments, the three finally seemed to recover from the strange language Wrath spat out, only for their mouths to hit the ground once more when Blake answered Wrath right back!

 _"Ro.. Astal'doreu nuashdie rel."_ **(Sorry.. I couldn't stop them.)** Blake replied, her voice tripping over the pronunciation of a language she was obviously only just beginning to acquire a grasp of. This point was lost on the others standing around her, save for Wrath, who all stared at her as if she had grown a second head.

 _"Aseo'doreu taithon ro. No riieb no elonam'du!"_ **(Don't be sorry. The more the merrier!)** Wrath responded, the forced, nearly uncomfortable smile never disappearing from his face

 _"Shorel. Rijaenul ithosam-... Ithosam-..."_ **(Good. So where-... Where-...)** Blake hesitated, clearly having trouble keeping the flow of her words up, eventually shrugging as she gave in. "Uh... Well it was going well for a while there."

"You're doing great, certainly much better than most people." Wrath said with a soft laugh, his hand finding it's way to Blake's shoulder. "I thought we could head to the usual cafe? I think they just opened."

"Sure, let's go." Blake nodded, before they began out of the alley at a brisk pace, evidentally already aware of the cafe's location.

" _H-Hey_ wait up!" Ruby cried as she ran after the two, Jaune and Pyrrha on her heels.

* * *

The cafe was quaint despite being located on one of the main streets of Vale. It was neatly tucked into the corner of two buildings, though judging by the popularity of the place it's semi-hidden location was far from a concern. While the place was far from busy, it obviously was hosting enough customers to keep itself in a rather respectable state.

The small tile stone courtyard was lined with beautiful flora, while the cafe's walls were decorated with old style red brick, giving the place a homey feel, despite it's center city location. A nice escape from the bustle of daily life for the citizens of Vale no doubt.

A few moments after the group walked up, a short yet pudgy man, dressed in a greasy apron and an old chefs hat, quickly plodded out of the cafe, strolling over to the group with his arms wide, as if ready to hug the first person who crossed his path.

" _Ms. Belladonna! Mr. Duskblade!_ I was hoping you two would show yourselves today!" The pudgy man exclaimed with happiness dripping from his voice as he strolled up to the two, clapping his hands together rather loudly, a powdery substance flying off in a small cloud around his hands upon impact.

Blake was the first to respond to the loud man, though in a much quieter fashion, a calm smile present on her face. "Hey Alejandro; why's that? Get something new in?"

"No no my friend, I just wanted to be sure you two were safe! Haven't you heard about the riots across town?" The man, Alejandro, asked as he jabbed his finger towards the direction of the other end of town, which was hidden by a mess of different buildings.

"I heard they turned violent recently, not much more than that." Wrath interjected, one arm crossed over his chest with his other hand propped up against his chin, his face turning serious for a moment.

"Well the authorities found a boy yesterday. Dead with his ears and torn clean off and his body burnt to a crisp. Barely a teenager. Such a shame..." Alejandro sighed, shaking his head sadly at the thought.

Meanwhile in the background Ruby sent a glare Pyrrha's way, the taller redhead mouthing a silent apology. So much for keeping it a secret.

"How'd that end up happening?" Wrath put the hand that had been resting on his chin on his hip, letting his other arm fall to his side. Something wasn't right... "I was under the impression they were protesting in groups.."

"They were. Suppose the kid just strayed a little too far and some extremists found him before his friends could." Alejandro finally took notice of the other three members of the group standing awkwardly behind Wrath and Blake. "But onto more positive affairs! I see you've brought your friends along this time!"

"Oh yeah, this is Ruby, Pyrrha, and Jaune." Blake explained, gesturing to each individual as she listed off their names, all while the three of them gave a little wave as they were introduced.

"Ah! Welcome, welcome! Sit! I will bring out the menus in a moment!"

Alejandro directed them to a table a few moments later, passing utensils out to each member of the group as they sat, before leaving them to acquire menus and attend to the other customers scattered around the cafe.

 _"So..."_ Pyrrha began, glancing over at Blake, who was sitting just across from the hoplite. "Seems you two are well known around here."

"Yeah. Wrath and I come here after I'm done classes." Blake explained, shrugging nonchalantly, her eyes darting around the various customers of the cafe. "The food is good and Alejandro doesn't have a problem with faunus so it's a nice place to unwind."

"Seems nice." Pyrrha remarked, a knowing tone present in the words she spoke, though she couldn't help but to look around after that. Blake had been right, it seemed as if almost all of the customers were faunus, save for a few humans who seemed to just be minding their own business.

A blissful smile appeared on Blake's face as her ears twitched, the tone in Pyrrha's voice lost on the black haired huntress-in-training. _"It is."_

Pyrrha smirked upon hearing this. There was definitely something going on here.

Meanwhile, at the other side of the table Jaune had noticed Wrath resting his chin on his hand, which was propped up on the table, glancing into the distance every so often, worry dominating his expression. "So Wrath, why the long face?"

"Eh, I'm a little worried about my friend Anduin." Wrath replied, shrugging lightly. He could obviously barely sit still. His plate covered foot was tapping against the stone ground noisily, while his vision shot from one object to another erratically.

" _Anduin_ huh? Cool name." Ruby said as she idly fidgeted with the napkin that Alejandro had given her with her utensils, wrapping the paper around the knife like a sheath. "What's wrong with him?"

"Oh, well a few bachelorettes are arriving at his residence today. He's being pressured into choosing one for marriage." Wrath explained, before sighing loudly, his shoulders drooping as he let out the tension they had been building up. "He's not required to choose a bride today thankfully, but I doubt that helps his nerves any."

"Woah... So he gets to _Choose_ who he's going to marry just like that?" Jaune asked as he leaned over towards Wrath, his eyes wide, with the 'O' shape his mouth was making a close rival.

"Mhmm."

"Wow. I wish I was your friend! Most girls won't even take the time to _look_ at me. Without wanting to hit me at least." Wrath nearly saw Pyrrha face palm at Jaune's statement, causing him to laugh. Poor girl.

After a few minutes of casual conversation between the members of the group, Alejandro returned with menus in hand, passing out one to each diner, though only Jaune, Pyrrha, and Ruby actually took look at the menu, Blake and Wrath already aware of their choices after dining at the cafe so many times.

Once it seemed as if everyone was prepared to order Ruby stood up and announced, "I'm gonna go order, does anyone want me to take their order up?"

"I'll come with you. The usual Blake?" Wrath asked as he pointed to his black haired faunus companion, receiving a nod from Blake after a moment of consideration from the girl.

Pyrrha turned to Jaune after a few moments of silent consideration. She was going to find out exactly what was going on around here. "Why don't you go with them Jaune? Here's my order."

Pyrrha handed Jaune a piece of paper a second later, prompting Jaune to rise, giving a small salute. "Alright. See you ladies in a few minutes."

After the three of them left to go put in their order Pyrrha turned to Blake, poking the faunus on the arm lightly, causing Blake to glance over to her, her expression back to it's usual neutral state.

"Alright. _Spill."_ Pyrrha said, deciding to abandon her usual evasive strategy in favor of the more direct approach, knowing Blake would be able to slither out with a bucket of excuses otherwise. "What's up with you and Wrath?"

"What do you mean?" Blake asked, tilting her head.

"Don't think I haven't noticed Blake." Pyrrha said with authority in her voice, tilting forwards slightly, ready to grab Blake should she attempt to make a run for it. "Are you interested in him?"

But instead Blake merely blushed, her eyes widening considerably as she adopted the look of a child who had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. _"Wh-what?! No!"_

"Then how do you know his language?" Pyrrha pressed, hoping to corner Blake before she could think of a plausible excuse to throw back at the hoplite. "Why bother taking the time to learn it? He obviously speaks ours fluently."

 _"Because-..._ Because he's my friend, and it would be rude to expect him to _always_ speak our language." Blake tried as she crossed her arms in front of her chest, her voice growing more and more concerned with each word she spoke, eventually teetering off to a mere mumble.

"Blake you don't even sound like you believe what your saying, you _have_ to know I don't." The redhead deadpanned as she leaned forwards on her elbows, her eyes nearly narrowed to slits.

After a few moments of tense silence between the two huntresses-in-training, Blake let out a soft sigh, slouching her shoulders as she hung her head ever so slightly. "Alright _fine_..."

"So _do_ you? Like him I mean."

Blake seemed to hesitate for a moment, biting her lip as she glanced off to the side, her amber eyes gleaming with uncertainty, while her ears twitched subtly. "Well... A _little..._ But-..."

"But what?..." Pyrrha's caring tone reappeared, replacing the hard inquisitive one in but an instant. She got her friend to admit the truth, so she found no need to continue to act in such a way.

"After Sun..." The dark haired faunus trailed off after that, suddenly gaining an immense amount if interest in the silverware splayed out in front of her.

Pyrrha knew the answer to her next question before she even asked. Bit still, she had to, just for her own peace of mind. She never liked to assume things. "You're afraid Wrath will do the same aren't you?..."

Blake nodded, saying nothing.

Pyrrha kept silent for a moment, seemingly letting the information she had just attained sink in. Eventually though, Pyrrha said something that startled, yet did not entirely surprise Blake. "...Well _I_ don't think he will."

"Why do you say that?" Blake asked, glancing up at her red haired friend for a moment before her eyes trailed back down to her hands.

"Because... How many people would travel to another world just to hang out with someone?" When Pyrrha failed to receive an answer from her cat-eared companion she pressed on. "If he was just doing what Sun was doing, _'looking for a little fun'_ , don't you think it would be easier for him to just do that in his own world."

It took Blake a few more seconds than normal to respond as she shrugged her shoulders, the bow on her arm bobbing along with the movement. "I guess but-..."

"I know it's not easy... You deserve to be cautious after Sun. I'm not saying you don't." Pyrrha sighed, her eyes becoming downcast for a moment before she visibly perked up once more. "But just try to remember; Wrath and Sun are two different people. Just because one hurt you doesn't mean the other will too."

Blake's voice began to grow shy, the words barely above a whisper as she wrapped her arms around herself. "Are you saying I should just-..."

"Give it a _chance_. Who knows, he might feel the same way about you." Pyrrha interrupted, before giving Blake a reassuring smile that seemed to imbue her friend with hope, if the small smile on her face was anything to go off of.

Blake nodded once Pyrrha made it clear that her piece was said. It couldn't hurt to just ask Wrath right? He had proved himself to be trustworthy so far so perhaps she could just take a little risk?

After a few minutes more of waiting Wrath, Jaune, and Ruby finally reappeared with the food on a multitude of plates and bowels, with poor Jaune carrying a majority, and Ruby carrying only her own.

"Oh there you are! We were beginning to worry about you." Pyrrha laughed upon seeing Jaune struggle with both her and his own meal, her mood shifting as if she had never had the previous conversation with Blake.

"Long line." Wrath replied, handing Blake her lunch, a steaming hot piece of breaded fish, before sitting down with his own lunch, ripping into it with a vengeance. He was less than graceful when he ate, that was for sure.

At first Blake felt the urge to laugh as she watched him eat, his messy eating habits nearly matching Ruby's, before the conversation between her and Pyrrha resurfaced in her mind, causing her smile to vanish, replaced by a feeling of tightening in her chest.

For a moment she considered letting the whole issue go. After all, they had become good friends over the last month, what if she asked and he denied? Would things become awkward between the two of them? Would it ruin their friendship?

A pointed look from Pyrrha drove off such thoughts however. So with a knot in her stomach Blake gingerly prodded Wrath's arm with her finger, her ears flat against her head. "Hey-... Uh... Wrath?..."

"What's up?" Wrath glanced over at her. His icy blue eyes, unbeknownst to her, were the symbol of a long vanquished evil that had plagued nations. The Scourge of an entire world. Yet to her they brought comfort. Brought courage back to her.

"You know... There's this book signing at the bookstore down the street in a few days, would you..." Blake asked with a hopeful smile, her courage nearly completely restored. What was the worst that could happen? "...Maybe want to go with me?"

Ruby nearly squealed from across the table.

"Um? _Sure_? I'm confused." Wrath mumbled, his head tilted in an inquisitive angle.

"Not as friends Wrath. As in-..." Upon hearing this Wrath broke into a fit of coughs, the food in his mouth nearly flying out to hit Jaune, who offered Wrath a napkin at the last minute, which the Knight coughed into loudly.

"Whew... Sorry about that; was _Not_ expecting you to say that." Wrath attempted to laugh, but nearly ended up spiraling into another coughing fit, saving himself through a quick gulp of his drink. "I mean, are you saying what I Think you're saying?"

"Yeah. So... Do you want to?" Blake asked, the hope never fading from her own amber eyes.

Wrath gave Blake a smile once he finally recovered from his shock inducing coughing fit, though not a sympathetic or pitying smile. It one of happiness. Was he going to say yes? Blake unconsciously leaned towards him as he prepared to give his answer.

Just at that moment Blake heard it.

"Wait a minute... _Blake?!"_

A voice that had been haunting both her dreams and nightmares for the last year of her life. A voice that had brought her so many days of happiness, followed by so many days and nights of sorrow. A voice that she had waited for so long to hear once more, but now wanted never to hear again.

Yet she heard it, clear as day. She turned to face the source of the voice, and her heart nearly stopped. Walking up to her was a male, no older than herself, with dirty blonde hair and a monkey tail hanging from between his legs.

"Blake? _Blake Belladonna_ is that you?!"

 _"Oh no..."_ Blake whispered to herself, the pressure in her chest, no longer that of nervousness due to a crush, becoming all the tighter with each and every step the blonde man took towards her.

Standing before her, looking directly into her eyes, was none other than Sun.

* * *

 **Bum bum bum! And Sun enters the picture! Don't worry; This won't turn into a Sun bashing fest, I just thought it would be a good idea somewhere in my psychotic brain. He will be like Sun always is, not some jerk, just a guy who likes to float through life. So no worries there! Alright! That's me done! Thanks for reading!**

 **Happy Thanksgiving!**


	6. Chapter 6: The Burning Shadow

**Woo! 3AM! This is a healthy time to be writing fanfics! Ok so I'm a little dazed and confused right now, so forgive any spelling mistakes. I promise I'll fix them tomorrow if I find that there is a crazy amount. So one little note about this chapter and about Wrath as a character. I know I said that he isn't a typical "I hate life" Death Knight. Which he isn't. But there will be a darker tone to this chapter, just a heads up.**

 **Raging Archon; Yeah, I wanted to actually make Wrath's past and his feelings towards it kind of important to this chapter, though Blake won't have much knowledge of Wrath's past Quite yet. She will soon though! As for OCs, possibly in the future, but for right now I'm going to just stick with getting the main story going first. If I have a need for one I'll let you all know though! Thanks for offering!**

 **Phoenix Paladin; Death knight lore can be pretty interesting. You should give it a look if you have some spare time! Wrath's vanity will more come out in the one-shots that accompany this story, as they are more light hearted, though you may see glimpses in the main plot as well. Aren't we all a fan of jumpscares when you get right down to it? And yeah, Wrath has lost some major manners since his Death Knight-ification. Also I agree with the nunchucks, but I just had to get Sun in here somehow!**

 **TehUnoman; I'm not entirely sure I understand what you mean? Do you mean Wrath or Sun? Sorry I wish I could give a better response!**

 **ww1990ww; Well the Legion's main goal is the destruction of order, so Beacon would absolutely be a must go situation. Perhaps Varian and the leaders of Remnant will have to sort that out!**

 **I hope you enjoy! On to the chapter!**

* * *

The Burning Shadow

* * *

"Blake! It _is_ you! How's life been?" Sun asked with a happy grin plastering his face, approaching the group with his arms outstretched, showing off his abdomen through his open shirt in a way that it was painfully obvious he was showing off to the females of the group.

However, instead of the reaction that he had been expecting from Blake, and possibly the other girls, he was instead met with silent stares from all those at the table, aside from the hooded man at the table that he did not recognize who was not glaring at him, but was instead looking in Blake's direction.

"Hey? _Yo_ , Remnant to Blake? You _in_ there?" Sun pressed when he finally got within arms length of his ex-girlfriend, reaching over to grab Blake's shoulder, only for the faunus to shrink away, her arms wrapped around herself, at his touch.

"Why are you here?" Blake asked, her arms only growing tighter around her frame as she spoke, her voice shaky.

"What? No hug for me? I'm hurt." Sun joked as he let his arms drop onto the table with an almost inaudible thud, leaning on the polished wooden surface as if he was around his own family.

"Where have you been the last year?" Jaune interrupted, his voice was unnaturally low, cautious even. His eyes were narrowed to slits while his mouth was tilted into a frown. "And more importantly, why are you here _now?"_

"Eh, you know me. Just driftin'. Heard about the riots going on here a couple of days ago. I was in the area so I thought I'd hit the front lines _Sergeant_!" Sun said, giving a mock salute with a wide grin., before he stretched his arms out once more before continuing. "And I decided that I would take a walk around and what do you know? I run into my old buddies from Beacon!"

"Well you've seen us. But if you wouldn't mind _going?_ Our foods getting col-..." Pyrrha attempted, only to be interrupted by Sun as he stared at Blake, who was visably shifting around in her seat uncomfortably.

"Hey wait... I thought something was different about you Blake! _Your bow's gone_!" Sun exclaimed, raising his arms exaggeratedly in the air, the grin on his face becoming larger as his voice became more flirtatious than it had when he had been speaking to the others. "Did'ja finally decide to take my advice?"

Blake gave Sun an empty laugh in return, her eyes not even connecting with his, instead focusing on the fish that she had previously been enjoying. "No Sun. You're far from the reason I don't wear my bow anymore. Don't even toy with that thought."

" _O-k_ then?" Sun trailed off, stunned at her response, for a moment. He recovered quickly however, though his smile now seemed much more forced. "Still, you look great without that thing on. Much more... _Attractive_."

Suddenly a noise caught Wrath's attention, causing a small shiver to run down his spine. Laughter. The type of laughter that promised only misery. Wrath turned his head to a shadowy alleyway where he thought the noise originated from only to find nothing but the shadows staring back at him.

He shook his head, dismissing the oddity. Was he hearing things?

Ruby meanwhile, while everyone else was distracted with Sun's sudden appearance, had taken it upon herself to pull out her scroll and text her elder sister, urging her to rush to their location. It was not that she did not trust Blake or the others to make the right choice, but Yang was Yang. She would know what to do. Hopefully.

When that was done she hastily hid the device in her clothing once more before resuming her glaring session at Sun, letting her silver eyes bore into the faunus boy's back as he turned away in search of something.

After a moment he found he was looking for, and with grace that obviously portrayed one who was attempting to impress those around him Sun hefted a chair over to the table with his tail, but was swiftly stopped by Jaune stepping in front of the table, glaring daggers at the other male.

"Woah, _woah_. Jaune. Mind movin' over a little dude?" Sun asked, still holding the chair up in the air gingerly with his tail, though he lowered it slightly, knowing he could not keep the strength up in his tail indefinitely.

"Yeah, I kinda _do_." Jaune replied, crossing his arms over his chest, the glare never leaving his features. "We're all in the middle of a meal, and I don't think Blake, or _any of us_ , want to hang out with you..."

Sun, upon realizing that Jaune would not be moving any time soon, took the opportunity to glance over at Blake to find that she was looking over at Ruby, who was staring right at him, her normally carefree smile replaced with a frown that could have rivaled her sister's.

"You aren't all seriously still mad about what happened between Blake and I last year are you?" Sun asked as he covered his face with his hand for a moment as he dropped the chair, letting it fall to the ground with a clatter.

"Are you kidding?" Jaune asked, his voice dangerously low with not even the slightest tinge of humor lacing his words. "Of course we are."

"Why? It's water under the bridge n-..."

Before Sun could finish his statement however, Blake launched herself from her chair so fast she nearly knocked her food off of the table, narrowly missing the plate. "You abandoned me. You left me in the dust. You disappeared for over a _Year_ with some other faunus you met at a protest!"

" _Look_ it was a mistake alright?" Sun replied as he turned to face his once girlfriend, who's eyes bored into him like daggers. He was unfazed however, and pushed on, drawing closer to the feline faunus. "You're _leagues_ better than she was. I'm sorry okay?"

"You're _Sorry_?" Blake laughed as empty as she had before, her eyes filled with nothing but contempt for the young man opposite her. "That's all you have to say to me after you did that to me? That you're _Sorry_?"

"Yes, I'm sorry. I really am Blake... Now come on. Let's just go and get some ice-cream or something so we can talk about it." Sun offered, motioning to a host of stores located down the street, an ice-cream parlor presumably among them.

"You think you can just walk up to me, say sorry and expect me to forgive you?!" Blake asked, her tone shifting from it's previously disinterested state to one with more venom, more anger lacing her words.

"Uh, _yes_?" Sun tried with a nervous smile, shrugging softly.

"How about this instead; you turn around, walk away, and _never_ talk to me again." Blake spat, jabbing her finger in a random direction while her glare intensified. Even Sun seemed visably upset now, his grin twisting into an annoyed frown.

Wrath meanwhile had failed to draw his eyes away from the alleyway that lay some distance away from the group. Something was wrong with the alleyway, yet he could not tell why. Was he just getting jumpy from a lack of action? Perhaps. That was what he told himself.

Suddenly the Death Knight, who up until that point had remained silent, not even watching the argument unfolding before him, unintentionally made a strange grunting sound as he contemplated scouting the alleyway, if only to put his suspicions to rest.

All eyes were immediately drawn to him as he stared into the alleyway, seemingly unaware that all those around him had drawn their attention to him.

"And what is it that _You_ find so funny?" Sun asked, mistaking Wrath's grunt of discomfort with laughter, causing the elf to snap his eyes in Sun's direction like a wolf who had just been distracted from it's hunt.

Wrath was far from racist. It was just not in his nature. But looking at Sun just seemed to make that particular virtue melt away. Baring his teeth the Death Knight replied. "Well the monkey tail sprouting from between your legs is a pretty decent start, but I can add to that if you want."

"You have a thing against faunus bud?" Sun asked angrily, slowly drawing closer to Wrath.

"No. Just a thing against _you_." Wrath replied, his muscles tensing under the black and purple plate of his armor, which seemed to suddenly light up with runic power, the skull designs on the suffice of the metal glowing a light blue.

"Ya know what? Just back off. This is between Blake and I. Stay outta it." Sun said, swinging his hand in front of his chest as if he was pushing Wrath back. This quickly had the opposite effect desired however.

Wrath was on his feet in a moment, his hand on the hilt of his rune blade, which glowed a bright blue, eager to be used. Sun reached for his staff in response, though neither would make the first move, opting instead to glare at each other, ready tk attack should either one make a foolish move.

"Both of you _Stop_." Blake intervened, putting herself between the two makers, pushing Wrath back softly with her hand, though she chose to not even come into contact with Sun. "Wrath... Sit down. I told you I can take care of myself."

Wrath backed off almost immediately. Unfortunately Sun took this as a positive sign that he was getting through to his ex, and so with a smile plastering his face, he turned to Blake.

"Thanks, so as I was saying-..."

"I wasn't helping you." Blake interrupted, causing Sun's breath to catch in his throat, stepping back. For each step he took back however, Blake took one forwards, staying at his heels. "I don't need his help to tell you to _get lost_."

Sun out his hands up in front of his chest, his voice growing nervous when he saw the look in Blake's eyes. "Woah... Woah wait a sec, calm it down Blake. All I did was tell that-..."

The shrill cracking of skin meeting skin echoed loudly throughout the crowded courtyard as Blake's hand made contact with Sun's now throbbing cheek, causing the blonde to stumble back, groping at his face.

It went dead silent for a moment, aside from the leaves blowing across the pavement and the occasional sound of a pedestrian in the distance.

 _"Leave."_

After a few seconds Sun regained his composure, letting out a soft sigh before he began to back away from Blake. She no longer followed her ex-boyfriend. "Alright. I get it. This was all a little too much to take in at once. I'll make myself scarce. Maybe come by Beacon tonight? We can talk about this then."

"There's nothing to talk about." Blake Saudi, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Yeah... Well... I'll see you tonight." Sun said before turning away from the ground, disappearing down one of many streets, much to the relief of the members of the group, none of which dared move to stop him.

After a minute of awkward silence passed, Wrath slowly stood up and found the courage to place his hand on Blake's shoulder, only to have her shrug him off the moment his hand touched her shoulder. _"Don't touch me."_

"...Alright." Wrath muttered, his voice soft, backing off behind Ruby and Pyrrha after a moment.

It was quiet for nearly a full minute afterwards. Blake had still refused to move from the spot which she stood, though she eventually wrapped her arms around herself as she glanced down at the paved street below.

Eventually she found it within herself to turn to face the rest of the group, only to find that Wrath had retreated to the back of the cluster, a small frown adorning his features.

He seemed disheartened. Sad even.

It was then Blake realized that she had done the very thing Pyrrha had warned her against. To not confuse Wrath with another Sun. And she had done just that. Without a hint of hesitation.

"Wrath I-..." Blake trailed off slowly as a look of suspicion began to dominate her features. With narrowed eyes she peered past the group and into the alleyways behind the group, where she saw something that made her heart race faster than she thought possible. In the alleyway, staring back at her was a pair of eyes. Two glowing green eyes. " _WRATH BEHIND YOU_!"

Wrath reacted nearly immediately, a strange green shell of energy forming a small bubble around him just as a massive light green ball of fire impacted against his back, exploding in a shower of hissing embers that lit the surrounding ground ablaze, including the stone.

Not a moment after the fireball impacted Wrath, a strange creature sauntered out of the alleyway, carrying a half unconscious man in their grip which they dumped on the ground like a sack of potatoes, letting the man groan in agony before growing silent.

The creature was unlike anything Blake had ever seen before. The creature was very obviously humanoid, and if it's almost exaggerated bust and long black hair were any indication, it was also female. Probably.

However it resembled no human Blake had ever seen previously before. It's feet were not feet at all, absent of any toes, or even an actual foot! Instead her feet were a strange form of hooves that had green glowing cracks of energy running up her legs like a spider's web.

Even her skin and face were inhuman, a strange shade of a bold royal blue, though sections of the creatures skin were beginning to shift from the royal blue to a sickening shade of blood red.

By her side was another creature, though this one did not walk on it's hind legs. It's body was an interesting shade of red, with two large horns that appeared to be much too large for the creature's body sticking from it's shoulders. The horns were towering above a mess of what could only be described as tentacles, two of which were lofted in the air menacingly, as if ready to strike at a moments notice.

Blake had little time to marvel at the two creatures however, for the moment the man's body had hit the ground people around the blue skinned creature attempted to flee, only for their attempts, and their lives, to be cut short in a blast of green fire that either incinerated on the spot or left them mewling heaps on the ground, suffering until their last breath.

The woman then turned her attention to a faunus who had just barely outrun the balls of green fire. With a small chuckle the woman launched a strange rope of green energy, ensnaring the faunus in a magical grip that wrapped around her body much in the same way as Wrath's own magical grip.

Ever so slowly the creature began to drag the now screaming faunus towards her with an ornate jeweled knife in her free hand raised menacingly, the grin on her face as twisted as the strange dog-like creature standing next to her, howling in excitement.

"No! _No, no, no_! _Please_ no!" The faunus begged with tears in her eyes as she was dragged towards what would undoubtedly be her untimely end.

However, just as the blue skinned creature was about to strike the faunus, a bullet suddenly impacted the dagger, launching the weapon from the creature's hand, giving off a loud pinging sound. This almost immediately broke the creature's concentration, causing the magical hand to dissipate, which in turn gave the faunus enough time to make a break for it, running down the street at full speed.

Turning to face the source if the attack, the creature grimaced when she found a host of what appeared to be warriors, with one in particular holding some form of red gun. The girl reloaded the strange weapon before pointing it at the creature once more.

"Creative trick _little girl_..." The creature hissed with disdain as she slowly rose to her full height once more, taking particular interest in Wrath, who had drawn his runeblade, which was now pointed at the creature.

"Ah... I was right. You _Are_ an elf. Interesting. You're the first elf I have seen since arriving here..." The creature finally said, her thick accent catching a few kf the group off guard. It was then that the creature noticed his eyes. "And a _Death Knight_ as well... How _fun_."

"You..." Wrath looked at the creature with hatred, visably baring his teeth as he twirled his blade, bringing it into a fighting position. "You're from _Draenor_ aren't you?..."

"That I am Death Knight. Thrust here after our unfortunate setback at Hellfire Citadel and Tanaan Jungle thanks to your world's armies." The creature said with a sarcastic sadness as she lay her hand on her cheek before her mouth twisted into a malevolent smile. "Though I've kept myself busy; so many here to burn in the name of the master."

"Then I can safely assume that you're the one behind the attack yesterday?"

"You heard about that? Yes, I am. The foolish little animal had the audacity to insult me. He paid with his life." The creature laughed, a laugh that sent a shiver down the spines of all those present excluding Wrath, who was clearly more used to facing down this creatures. "You would be astounded if you knew how much he screamed before his death. Like a _wretch_."

"How did you even find yourself here? This world is completely separate from Draenor or Azeroth." Wrath asked with genuine curiosity lacing his words, though he did not let his guard drop. Not for a second. He knew what these creatures were capable of, and he was not planning to give her even the slightest opening.

"I decided to sneak through a portal that two elves were arguing in front of around a month ago. When I saw that they were distracted I took the opportunity. I thought it would lead me to your world, but instead it lead me _here_. Simple as that."

"A portal and two elves?" Wrath asked, before realization hit him in the face like a truck filled with nothing but bricks. "You must have used... _Ah crap_..."

"Worry not for me Death Knight... I have all the entertainment I could _ever possibly need_ right _here_..." The creature gave off another one of her haunting laughs before she pointed a gangly finger towards a pile of old trash cans. A moment later the red creature leapt at the cans, using it's tendrils to knock away the metal canisters to reveal another person who had been taking cover behind the trash cans.

The red creature was on the hiding man in an instant, it's teeth sinking into the cloth and flesh of the man's arm, eliciting a horrified shriek before the appendage was ripped away. The man fell to the ground, screaming in agony as he clutched at the stump for a few grueling seconds before the same red creature brought it's mouth around the man's head, silencing his screams with it's teeth.

Wrath growled loudly, his eyes glowing with runic power as he glared at the blue skinned creature. He was relatively sure he heard someone behind them emptying their stomach on the ground. He could not concern himself with that. There was a more immediate issue, and it was standing not 10 feet from them now. "How you ever called yourself Draenei is beyond me..."

"Do not use such a disgusting phrase to describe me _Elf_!" The creature hissed, green fire literally dripping from her finger tips. "I am Dymia Soulripper, Warlock of the Sargerei, and you will show the proper _respect!_ "

"How about we just kick your butt instead?" Ruby interjected as she loaded a round into Crescent Rose with a satisfying click, before bringing the weapon into scythe mode, letting the blade gleam in the sunlight.

"Then, my child, you will die in agony." The Sargerei warlock chuckled, the smile on her face growing even more twisted than before, if that was even possible.

"We'll see about that!" Ruby yelled before charging, rose petals left in her wake as she surged forwards towards the Sargerei, her scythe's blade heading directly for the blue skinned creature's throat.

 _"RUBY WAIT!"_ Wrath yelled as he attempted to grab her, only to catch a handful of rose petals instead.

It was too late. The Sargerei laughed as she caught a stunned Ruby by the leg, sending a surge of Fel energy up her arm and into the younger female's leg as she dangled in the air, driving the felfireall the way up the limb until it reached the hip before using her other, now immolated, hand to smack Ruby back over to the group.

She flew in the air for what felt like an eternity before she landed on the ground with a loud thump, which was drowned out by Ruby's sudden screaming and crying as her body contorted in pain, her eyes wild as tears began to form.

"Well that was entertaining." The Sargerei said, examined her nails casually while Jaune, Pyrrha, and Blake all knelt down, looking over Ruby's now charred leg, which still glowed a sickly Fel green. "I would get her to a healer if I were you."

Wrath sighed softly for a moment before shutting his eyes, bringing his hands together in front of his chest before slowly spreading them outwards. As he did a strange ball of energy formed, growing larger and larger as Wrath spread his arms, eventually encompassing the entire group.

"You waste your power to protect them? Why? I was under the impression you Death Knights knew what was important, and how to win in a fight." The Sargerei said, raising an eyebrow at this, before her smile became twisted once more. "After all... You're all too familiar with throwing away the lives of innocents for your own gains, are you not?"

Wrath was on the Sargerei in seconds, slashing and chopping at the woman mercilessly. The first few blows found not the woman, but the strange red creature instead, who had jumped in front of the Death Knight to shield it's master, killing itself in the process.

Wrath was quick to kick the creature's corpse away before he resumed in his assault, eventually maneuvering behind the Sargerei, using the opportunity to slash at the muscle behind her knee, causing her to scream in pain as she fell to the ground, but not before she launched a ball of felfire at Wrath, who brought up his blade in defense.

With a twirl of his blade, Wrath quickly lopped off the Sargerei's hand, forcing out another scream before the woman used her remaining hand to blast Wrath back once more, the Death Knight bringing his blade up just in time, though he was knocked back a decent amount.

A few seconds of tense silence overcame the courtyard as Wrath rose, channeling runic power in his hands, ready to launch a blast of energy at the Sargerei only for Ruby's screams cause him to hesitate. She needed a healer, that much was true.

He had enough runic energy stored to easily finish off the Sargerei, that was for sure, however he also realized that Ruby's leg would undoubtedly continue to burn unless the fire was quelled. The only icy energy powerful enough to silence the hiss of felfire was the energy dancing across his finger tips.

It would take time for his power to have any real effect on Ruby's leg. Time which the Sargerei would either use as a means of escape, or time that would give the felfire in Ruby's system to cause irreversible damage.

"Come now Death Knight... _Finish_ me." The Sargerei taunted as she finally realized the reason for the Death Knight's hesitation. Wrath glanced back at Ruby's writhing form. He had to make a choice, and soon. "Why worry for the girl? You and I both know how easily you could end this..."

Wrath sent a glare at the Sargerei. He knew her plan. He had heard it from her kind many times before. Divide and conquer. "Don't try that. My shield is sound dampening; we can hear them, but they can't hear a word we say. I won't let you trick them into-..."

"Oh don't act high and mighty... I heard stories of the Scourge and what they did to hundreds-... _Thousands_ of lives on your world... Stolen from them in their prime." The Sargerei's mouth twisted into a smile once more upon noticing Wrath glancing down down at the ground. She continued, fake compassion entering her words. "How many did you kill, _hmm_? How many innocent men, women, and children died at the end of your sword?"

Ruby's screaming was growing louder. More desperate. The felflame was beginning to take it's toll on the poor girl. Wrath lowered his hands as he realized what he had to do, yet the Sargerei did not let up.

"How many begged for their lives... For the lives of their families... How many did of them did you _deny_?" The Sargerei asked, a smug smile on her face. "So what will it be elf? Save your friend's life? Or end my own? _Your choice_..."

Suddenly Wrath's dilemma was answered in the form of a battle cry. Before he could even turn to face the source of the sound a loud gunshot echoed throughout the courtyard as the Sargerei was launched a crossed the paved roadway.

When Wrath finally turned to look at the source of the noise he found none other than the blonde brawler Yang herself standing before him, pure rage in her eyes as she reloaded Ember Celica.

"Wrath! Go help my sister!" Yang ordered, before turning her attention to the Sargerei, who was slowly beginning to recover from the blow Yang had dealt her. "I got this _circus reject_."

Wrath hesitated for a moment, but after a fierce glare from Yang stepped back into the safety of his anti-magical shield to tend to Ruby, leaving Yang to finish the Sargerei.

Wrath immediately got to work to freezing Ruby's leg, though he could not help but to keep one eye on the fighting taking place outside of the shield.

"So... You think you can just show up and hurt my little sis huh?" Yang asked as she readied her weapons, aiming them directly at the Sargerei's head. "Well you're dead wrong. Emphasis on _Dead."_

"Oh? And just what do you plan to do to stop me?" The Sargerei muttered, smirking to herself as she quietly withdrew a small red crystal from her robe with her remaining hand.

 _"THIS!"_

The Sargerei laughed bitterly as her fate sped towards her. In her haste to end her enemy's life, Yang had failed to notice the crystal, and with a final chuckle the Sargerei tossed the crystal haphazardly into the air, the blood red gemstone seemingly hanging in the air by some invisible force.

With one final prayer to her masters, the Sargerei clamped her eyes shut as she sent a surge of Fel energy towards the crystal, hitting it dead on. A ear piercing cracking drowned out the final words of the Warlock. "For the _Legion_..."

Suddenly there was chaos.

A few seconds after being charged with fel energy the crystal exploded, sending out a massive torrent of Fel fire in every conceivable direction. It quickly enveloped all in it's path, the shockwave sending Yang back into the shield.

Unfortunately her flight was not quite fast enough to outpace the wave of demonic fire, and with a loud hiss, the fire reached the blonde brawler, coating the entire lower portion of her body in intense felflame, only stopped from reaching further thanks to the shield, which Yang had been sent through before the flames could crawl further up her form.

Yang's limp form came to a sudden stop next to her younger sister, who screamed once more, not from pain, but upon seeing her sisters charred form land next to her in an unconscious heap.

 _"Yang! God no! YANG!"_ Ruby began to shriek, flailing her arms as she attempted to break free from Jaune and Pyrrha's grip, while Blake ran over and placed her ear against the brawlers chest.

"She-... _Wait!_ She's got a heartbeat!" Blake announced as Wrath began to feel around in a small pouch attached to his belt, hastily searching for something. "She's still alive! We need to get her to a hospital!"

"No use. They wouldn't know how to heal Yang and Ruby!" Wrath said, giving a small sigh of relief when he located what he was looking for in his pouch and pilled it out. A small stone the size of a mans fist, with a strange blue swirl marking etched in the middle. "We'll need to go somewhere else to get them help."

"Where?! We need to get there like... _Now!"_ Jaune cried as he finally took his eyes off of Ruby's charred leg, earning only a sign from Wrath, who kneeled down and placed both Ruby and Yang's hands in one of his own.

"Everyone grab onto me and pray that this works!" Wrath ordered, to which everyone responded by grabbed onto a different section of Wrath's armor, Pyrrha and Jaune each grabbed a shoulder, while Blake wrapped her arms around Wrath's neck.

A moment later each and every one of them felt lighter than air. The last thing that any of them heard before losing consciousness was the sound of rushing wind and Ruby's soft sobs...

* * *

"So please, do tell me more about yourself Prince Anduin!" A young woman with red hair, garbed in a fancy expensive looking dress unstated as she leaned against a dazzling golden throne, it's surface adorned with designs of a great lion.

"Well there's not much to tell." A young man in an equally expensive looking attire replied, swirling the wine in his crystal glass around slowly, clearly uninterested in the conversation. "My father decided that it was time for me to start looking for a spouse. I can understand his reasoning, but I just can't see myself marrying quite yet."

"Ah. Well if you feel like you need to talk to me some more about it I'm staying in the farthest guest room." The young woman giggled flirtatiously, pressing her hand in front of her lips, blowing the prince a kiss. "Until later Prince Anduin Wrynn."

"Yes, until later Lady Serria." Anduin replied with a kind smile, waiting for the young woman to turn her back and saunter away before he let the smile fade into a tired frown.

He wanted to slump into the throne and sleep for 4 days. But he knew he could not, if he did then there would be no doubt that some random advisor or diplomat would hastily reprimand him for improper behavior before shuffling off to go and take a nice long, restful, comfy nap.

Anduin was also relatively sure that spite his father insisting that he would be out of the way today, he would still somehow, some way, learn of Anduin falling asleep on the high throne.

"Come on Wrath... Where _are_ you?..." Anduin sighed as he glanced down at his cup, a migraine ever so slowly but surely forming in his temple. He could not take it much longer. "I would give anything for just a little bit of excitement right now..."

Suddenly, as if the universe itself was pulling some complex prank on Anduin, a strange sound akin to the rushing of wind began to waft through the throne room, causing everyone, Anduin, the noble women, and the other guests included, to glance at the middle of the room, where the strange sound was originating.

Then, before Anduin could think to move, a large portal began to form in the middle of the room, the mouth of the portal prying open like a cosmic maw.

A moment later the prince's vision was filled with a torrent of different colors as the portal spit out a group of half a dozen people in a mass of tangled limbs and clothing. Along with some screaming.

The guards surrounded the group in seconds, swords drawn as they prepared to defend the royalty from whatever threat had just popped out from the portal, only to calm down almost just as quickly when they saw Wrath's gauntlet plated arm push itself up to the top on the pile, giving a thumbs up, before the elf dug himself out, landing not so gracefully on his feet in front of the high throne.

"Well... I suppose you answered my pleas... Though..." Anduin glanced over Wrath's shoulder to where 5 other individuals were either untangling themselves, or in a certain blonde's case, laying there limp. "I don't recall you _Leaving_ with 5 people."

"Uhh... Yeah about that... You mentioned that Velen's training was progressing into actual combat and trauma healing right?" Wrath asked with a nervous smile as the noble women who had never seen a Death Knight before crowded around, listing into the conversation.

"Well yes, but I-..." Anduin trailed off when Wrath ran up and yanked Anduin from the throne, pulling him towards the group, where they had finally untangled themselves, 3 of the group huddles around the unconscious bodies of 2 young women. And they had been attacked with Fel magic. "What-... Wrath! _What happened?!"_

"Sargerei warlock attacked us... We ended up killing it, but these two were injured in the process." Wrath explained, pushing Anduin over to the two fallen females, who gave no response to the prince and Death Knight drawing close. They had been severely injured, lucky to still be alive even. Anduin could see this without even properly examining the wounds.

"I... I'll see what I can do! _Guards!_ Send a rider to the cathedral! We need a priest to keep one stable while I work on the other!" Anduin ordered, to which several armored guards saluted before rushing out of the room, down the long open corridor that lead to the outside world.

Once that was done Anduin knelt down to finally get a good look at the two injured. At first he had been more concerned with the state of their wounds, but now that he could see them up close he could easily see that they were both very attractive, each in their own ways.

"They're sisters. The younger sister's name is Ruby." Wrath said, pointing to the girl that Anduin's eyes unintentionally lingered just a bit too long on before following Wrath's finger to the other sister. "And that's Yang."

"Alright, thank you Wrath. I can take it from here." Anduin said, recieving a short nod from Wrath in response.

Wrath then turned to Blake, Pyrrha, and Jaune, beckoning them over to him before leading them deeper into the castle. Most of the remaining guards, along with the noble women and politicians soon followed them, most realizing that they would only be getting in Anduin's way.

Anduin began to work almost immediately. Bringing himself to a comfortable sitting position, the young prince began to go over the steps to successfully healing a Fel-based injury in his mind.

The one that particularly caught his eye however just so happened to be same one who he decided to treat first. Ruby, Wrath had said her name was. As he lay his hand gingerly against the fel-scarred tissue and began to channel a strange energy though his hand, the girl began to groan in pain.

"Calm down my lady... You're safe now..." Anduin hushed as he directed a tiny fraction of his power into his other hand, laying it upon Ruby's forehead, letting the divine power flowing from his finger tips calm the girl, eventually prompting her to open her eyes.

" _Who-..._ Who are you?... Where am I?..." She asked in a hoarse voice, strained from sudden overuse. Anduin felt his stomach twist. Ruby had been screaming, and from the state of her voice, the prince could wager it had not just been a shriek or two. It had been constant. Unending.

"My name is Prince Anduin Wrynn of Stormwind. You are in Stormwind Castle; don't worry, you're safe now..."

"Yang... My sister... _Where_ -..." Ruby turned her head with much effort, her eyes watering when the unmoving form of her sister came into her vision. It made her sick. Yang was burnt from the stomach down. Not an inch of exposed skin had escaped the ravages of the Felfire. "Yang... Why?..."

"Your sister is going to be alright... Just close your eyes... You'll _both_ be alright..." Anduin gently whispered, focusing a different type of magic into the hand that lay over Ruby's forehead. No longer a brilliant yellow light that promised warmth and compassion, instead replaced by a soft purple haze that drifted over her face like a cool mist.

She saw another man run into the room. He was wearing all white clothing with light blue trimmings. His eye brows were furrowed with concern as he knelt down next to Yang and began to chant, focusing a bring yellow lighten into the brawlers injuries.

Suddenly Ruby's eye-lids began to grow heavy. No matter what the young reaper did, all she could do was wish that she could reach out to her sister. But she couldn't. All she could do was give into the exhaustion that washed over her like a shroud, coating her world in darkness...

* * *

 **Yes I did just have that Hearthstone teleport 6 people at once. I figure it could work. After all if it just teleported the person without their bags or armor there would be a lot more problems for innkeepers! Also hopefully I got slightly close to nailing Sun's character while still portraying the whole "They are exes" thing well enough! Sorry if it was strange. It's hard making Sun a jerk.**

 **So one last bit of news for you all is that it's finals week here in the US, so I need to pretend to be responsible and study, then I have to start working on the (multi-chapter!) Holiday Special for this AU! So the next chapter might be a little late, but not by too much.**

 **Thanks for reading! Have a great day!**


	7. Chapter 7: Tomorrow Is Another Day

**Hey everyone! So I was able to force this chapter out before I completely melted down from finals. I'll be starting the Christmas special for this AU in a few days, so expect that to show up at one point or another.**

 **Jack Redhawke; There are so many sources saying so many different things on this. Some say he's 16, some say up to 21. I just went middle of the road and went 19 (20 by legion launch), making him roughly 2 years older (plus a month or two) than Ruby when they meet. Also this is taking place right before Legion, or what could be considered present time.**

 **Raging Archon; Glad you liked it! I'm finally getting a hang of writing out a fight it seems. If I ever do need an OC in the future I'll announce it. Yup! Fairy tales with a few demons and slightly psychotic blood elves sprinkled in.**

 **ww1990ww; Interesting comparison actually. Hopefully this one won't end with one getting a rock to head! As for the leaders, only a few are present, but a rather important character will appear in this chapter!**

 **TehUnoman; I laughed more than I should have at that! I suppose it could always happen in a one-shot or something.**

 **The Phoenix Paladin; Unfortunately that's a rather common event, even in real life. But he got slapped for it so all's good! It was so strange writing Sun in a less than good light, as I said before.**  
 **Oh okay good, because a few characters may come up that are rather deeply buried in WoW's lore.**  
 **Hearthstones are strange little tools aren't they? Wish I had one in real life, that's for sure.**  
 **As long as Yang doesn't flatten Anduin for flirting with Ruby first that is!**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Tomorrow Is Another Day

* * *

"I'm losing her your highness! The burns are spreading faster than I can heal them!" These were the heart stopping words that Jaune heard as he quietly tip-toed into the throne room, the image of Anduin and another man frenzily channeling spell after spell into the bodies of his two fallen friends, their chests rising and falling softly as they lay unconcious, flooding his mind.

" _Keep trying_! If we can stop the progression of the Fel-burns then we might be able to at least stabilize them!" Anduin exclaimed as he sent another shockwave of holy energy into Ruby's leg, causing the appendage to spasm as she muscles were forced into moving.

Upon hearing this Jaune attempted to take a quick peak from the door he was hiding behind, only for the other man to glance up in his direction, his eyes widening in realization upon seeing the mess of blonde hair.

" _Ah! You! Boy!_ Are you a paladin?!" The man asked with intensity in his words as he waved Jaune over, prompting the young hunter to turkey peak his head all the way out, his eyes showing nothing but confusion.

"Wh-what? What's a _paladin_?" Jaune asked as he tilted his head, looking frankly ridiculous to the two men kneeling over the two huntresses-in-training.

"Don't play games boy! I can sense the Light practically _emanating_ from you! We need your help!" The man snapped, jabbing his finger at an empty section of floor next to Yang. She was still unmoving, not even twitching in pain when the man laid his callused hand on her thigh.

"I-..." Jaune nervously stuttered, before shuffling out of his hiding place, approaching the scene like a scared child. However when he glanced down at Ruby and Yang a strange feeling overcame him, his expression growing hard. "Alright... Wh-what can _I_ do though?"

Before the priest could direct Jaune as to his role in the emergency however soft footsteps tore the young Arc's attention from the scene, his eyes resting on a haggard looking old man in gloriously colorful armor with thinning grey hair resting on his head.

What caught Jaune's attention more than the man's tired old form, or even his overly complex armor, was his sword, which hung from his back. It was a thick rune inscribed blade that seemed to softly glow, with a singular cutting edge, and a strange yellow disk that floated as if by magic, suspended above a groove in the blade. Despite knowing nothing of the blade, Jaune could already tell it was special.

"Prince Anduin. Your party appears to have made it's way up to the-..." The man began, before trailing off, recoiling at the sight that lay before him. A sight that he had seen so many times before through the years and trials of his life. A sight he had hoped he would never have to bear witness to again. _"By the light... What's happened?!"_

"Highlord! I'm glad you're well." Anduin exclaimed with a smile which vanished in almost an instant as he directed his gaze back to the girls that lay upon the throne room floor. "These two were attacked with Fel-magic. I've tried extracting it from this one, Ruby, but her sister's wounds are much more dire... Neither of us can remove the deeper burns before they spread to another part of her body..."

"Well... Lets see if I can help." The Highlord huffed as he shuffled over, before doing his very best to struggle to his knees, the weight of the armor he wore slowing his decent significantly as he fought to maintain his balance.

"No Highlord! You need to conserve your strength-..." Anduin was silenced by the plated hand of the Highlord held up before him.

"There's no need to _coddle_ me boy. I may be old, but I'm not so decrepit as to ignore two souls in need." The Highlord chided the prince, his voice firm yet kind. After a few moments of consideration Anduin nodded softly.

"Very well. Abbot, give the Highlord some space would you?" Anduin instructed, a small smile appearing in his face. He always found it to be a treat on the rare occasions when the Highlord would use the Light. Recently age had caught up with him, and his use of the Light was much more reserved than it had been only a few years before.

"Yes, your highness." The priest said before pulling himself to his feet, leaving a space in between the fallen forms of Yang and Ruby, which the Highlord quickly occupied, all while Jaune watched events unfold, enthralled with the aging man that had appeared as if from nowhere. Just who was he?

Ruby was the first that the Highlord turned his attention to. Filling his lungs with fresh air, the Highlord held his gloved hand over the young reaper's leg. Suddenly a soft yellow began to envelop both the hand of the Highlord, along with Ruby's leg, only to fade just as quickly when Ruby began to groan loudly in pain.

"Anduin. Grab her hand. This process will be painful." The old man instructed calmly as he looked over the wound on Ruby's leg, pointing to her gently twitching hand.

Anduin nodded, before he did so, softly interlocking his fingers with her own, giving her hand a gentle squeeze as the Highlord began the healing process, forcibly purging the Fel energy from Ruby's leg while she groaned and squirmed in agony, tears falling down her pale cheeks from her still closed eyelids.

Eventually, after a long and grueling few minutes of constant groaning and shifting from Ruby, the Highlord's magic appeared to finally take effect. Ruby soon ceased her struggling as the burns that had once coated her leg begin to dissipate, fading away as if it had never been exposed to Felfire.

When the remaining scarring finally vanished from the pale skin of the huntress in training, the Highlord finally allowed the bright light in his hand to dim, the aura of energy fading away as he struggled to maintain a steady breath.

Jaune furrowed his brows in concern at this. While this man was obviously healing his friends in a way no one else here seemed to be capable of, it was obvious that it was also taking quite the tole on the man in his old age.

"Now.. Onto the next..." The Highlord gasped, before Anduin kneeled down next to him, gently grabbing onto the arm of the older man in concern as he attempted to help him up, though the Highlord resisted his pull.

"Highlord you need rest! _Please!_ You've done more than enough for us already, you need to regain-..."

"What did I just say about coddling me?" The Highlord scolded, batting away Anduin's hand with a smack chuckle before his eyes rested on none other than Jaune Arc. And when he did his eyes widened considerably. " _You_... I sense... Come here."

"Y-yes sir." Jaune stuttered as he knelt next to the Highlord and the limp form of Yang, letting his hand rest on her knee, which was hot to the touch. It was as if her skin was still burning, even now, after so much time had already passed since her initial injury.

After a moment the Highlord took ahold of Jaune's hand, placing it on Yang's mutilated thigh before he placed his own hand on top of the hand of Jaune, causing the blonde boy to glance over at the man, his eyes filled with confusion. "What're you doing?"

"Calm yourself boy." The Highlord instructed, his voice firm yet warm. The voice of a leader. He obviously was a leader of sorts, though of what a man so frail could possibly lead Jaune could not fathom. "Close your eyes."

Jaune obeyed a moment later, letting his eyes shut softly as a soft yellow glow began to surround his palm, bathing his arm, and in turn Yang's leg, in the strange energy.

"Now... _Focus..._ And let yourself become one with the _Light..."_ The Highlord instructed, his own voice fading off as the yellow glow emanating from Jaune's hand began to surround all three participants. Even the Highlord's sword had begun to glow gloriously in the precense of the strange energy.

Moments later the pulsing wounds surrounding Yang's legs began to flicker wildly, the green tint growing blindingly bright for a few dazzling seconds before a glorious flash of light pierced through the burns. Seconds later the wounds no longer pulsed. They no longer sizzled with active Fel energies. They had been forced into dormancy. They had been contained.

Jaune however, was far from the situation at hand. All the young Arc could possibly focus on was the the overwhelming feeling of warmth, the unyielding love, and unfaltering grace of the light. If he could have smiled at that moment he would have if not frozen in place by the power flowing through him. It was amazing.

" _That-..._ That was..." Jaune muttered as he finally allowed his eyes to open once more, only to find the burns on Yang no longer pulsed a sick green, now a dull shade that was unmoving. Though the blonde brawler still remained catatonic, the grimace on her face was gone, replaced by a content smile.

"Her burns are severe... It will take one who is practiced in these dark arts to fully remove the scarring..." The Highlord said, interrupting Jaune's thoughts, as he turned to Ruby, who at this point was actively beginning to shift around in her sleep. "Thankfully her sister is much luckier... She should be on her feet by tomorrow morning, though she will need time to fully recover..."

"Highlord... How did you just _do_ that?..." The priest, who had been watching from the sidelines ever since the Highlord had arrived, asked with astonishment in his voice as he struggled to find the right words. "I've never seen one use the Light through another being before..

"Put your faith in the Light, and _All_ is possible..." The Highlord proclaimed, both his voice and breathing ragged from the exertion he had just been put through.

"The Light? What's that?" Jaune asked, finally coming out of his stupor, giving himself a few moments before he pulled himself to his feet, slightly wobbly at first, though after a few moments he was right on his feet once more.

"A long story young one... You have a raw talent for the Light. You should consider seeking training." The Highlord said as he gaspped for air, before turning to Jaune with a weak smile on his face. "I must rest... My new friend, will you assist me to my room?"

"Y-yes! Of course!"

"Many thanks..." The Highlord said as he slung his arm over Jaune's shoulder, propping himself on the young hunter in training before turning his attention to Anduin. "I regret that I could not completely heal your other friend. I am... Not as _potent_ as I once was I'm afraid. I tire _easily_ nowadays..."

"You've done more than enough already Highlord... Go and rest." Anduin said with a small bow. Jaune paused at this. This old man leabing on his shoulder was respected and important enough to make even a prince bow. Just who was he? "May the Light be with you."

The Highlord chuckled at Anduin's gesture. "And you, _Prince Wrynn_."

With that the Highlord motioned toward one of the many doors, prompting Jaune to help him out of the throne room, the two sets of footsteps growing more distant with each passing second.

The priest, feeling that his presence was also no longer required, gave the prince a small bow before also leaving the throne room, intent on getting back to the cathedral before he was missed.

A few moments later Anduin shivered lightly. Turning his head to the other end of the throne room he found none other than Wrath slowly making his way over to the unconscious sisters, a small frown on his face.

"How are they doing?..." He asked, never taking his bright blue eyes off of the two huntresses-in-training. He did not want to admit it, but in a way it was his fault they were both in such a state. The Sargerei had snuck through the portal that his friend had made.

Anduin sighed softly as he approached the Death Knight, stress clearly shown on his young face.

"The Highlord was passing by and was able to heal Ruby... But _Yang..."_ Anduin paused for a moment as he glanced over to the fallen brawler. "Yang will require an expert in Fel magic in order to fully recover from her wounds. Thankfully the Highlord was able to keep himself going long enough to stabilize her, so we'll have time to find one proficient in-..."

"There's no need for that Anduin... I know who can help her." Wrath interrupted Anduin with a raised hand, which dropped almost just as quickly as he continued his explanation. "But he lives in Silvermoon. Is she stable enough for travel to the elven kingdom?"

Anduin nodded, letting out a sigh. "She should be... Though Ruby will have to stay behind to recover."

"That's fine. Blake and I can take Yang." Wrath explained as he withdrew a small crystal necklace from around his neck. It nearly exactly mirrored the one he had given Blake; a perfect copy if not for the slightly darker tint of this crystal. "If I use my death gate I should be able to eliminate quite a bit of distance in a matter of seconds, but the rest of the trip will still take a little over a week or two."

"A week or two? Don't you usually make the trip in just a few _days?"_ Anduin asked as he casually crossed his arms, an eyebrow raised in confusion.

"Yes, but neither Vengeance or I need to rest." The Death Knight countered without missing a beat. "Yang probably won't be much of an issue since she'll be unconscious anyway, but Blake will need to sleep for at least a few hours a day."

"Very well. Should I have steeds ready for Blake and Yang tomorrow?"

"No. Just a 2 person sleigh for Blake and Yang. Vengeance can drag it. At least that way we won't have to worry for the fatigue of two horses as well." Wrath said as he paced back and forth in front of Anduin, earning a firm nod from the prince in return.

"Alright. Just be careful." The young prince ordered.

After a few minutes of silence between the two Wrath gave a small sigh and glanced down to the floor, his glowing blue eyes darting across the fine tile that held various designs ranging from lions to gryphons in it's stone. "I'm going to get the others settled in. We'll leave at dawn."

Anduin was about to agree and excuse himself from the situation in order to alert his father of guests, only to stop dead in his tracks when he noticed something. Wrath was making no attempt to actually move from his position. He was just standing there, his eyes trained on the floor.

"...There's something else bothering you, isn't there?" Anduin asked, the caution practically dripping from the words flowing from his mouth, as he crossed his arms in front of his chest once more, though not nearly as casually.

 _"Yes..._ Anduin, I'm not entirely sure the _only_ purpose of the Sargerei's suicide was just an extreme attempt to kill Yang..." Wrath said, finally tearing his eyes from the ornate floor, falling on Yang's now dull green burns that still clung to her leg like a tattoo. "She used a sort of crystal that she shot with an extremely concentrated ball of Fel energy in order to blow it up. Not exactly standard fighting style of the Sargerei."

"You think the use of the crystal had an ulterior motive? Another purpose?" The prince asked as he raised a hand from his chest, combing his fingers through his mane of golden blonde hair.

"Yes... I suspect it did..." Wrath confirmed, the small frown only growing deeper as he continued to ponder on the crystals true meaning.

Thankfully Anduin had already formed a hypothesis, though the prince wished that what he suspected could not be farther from the truth. But deep down he knew the answer to the question before he even asked. "Where were you fighting?"

"The middle of a city, why?"

"You have your answer there in front of you Wrath." Anduin sighed, his eyes becoming downcast as he confirmed the truth. Wrath was quick to catch onto the truth as well, his pointed ears drooping slightly when he realized just what Anduin was implying.

"...She wanted to take as many lives as she could with her..."

It was quiet for a few moments, before Anduin glanced over to the elf. "...Would you like to see if we could contact the Kirin Tor? I'm sure they would be more than happy to see if any others are injured, possibly even get them to a healer before any permanent damage is done?"

"No. The Sargerei slaughtered citizens in broad daylight." Wrath said, shaking his head slowly. "Their law enforcement has probably swarmed the entire area already with orders to shoot anything strange or out of place on sight. There's no point in wasting the time, or energy, of the Kirin Tor."

"Understable." Anduin sighed as he put a hand on Wrath's shoulder, the runic mist from the shoulder plates dancing around his fingers. "You should go and prepare for your journey to Quel'Thalas. I'll be sure to tell my father to expect a few extra guests in the banquet hall tonight."

"I assume I'm allowed to borrow from the food stores for the trip?" Wrath asked, earning a small chuckle from the young prince in return as he withdrew his hand from the Death Knight's shoulder.

 _"Always."_

Wrath nodded once before pulling his hood back over his head, completely covering his face in shadow, excluding his eyes, which shined like two moons under the cover of night. "I'll only need my usual supplies, plus whatever Blake and Yang will need. I'm sure it'll only be a little extra-..."

"Take as much as you need."

Wrath gave a small smile from under his hood. "Thank you."

* * *

Ruby was up a few hours later. Almost immediately the young reaper leapt at the idea of dinner, to which Anduin along with the soldiers that had been guarding her gave her only one response. They put her on a crudely constructed wheelchair and brought her to a massive hall, where a large banquet was laid out before her and her friends, all of them feasting to their hearts content.

Pyrrha had quickly wandered off with a few of the Royal Guard after the meal was over. The hoplite had been hearing snippets throughout the day about a royal armory that supposedly housed the finest weapons in Stormwind.

Jaune was quick to follow Pyrrha at first, but after a good hour an a half of wandering around the armory, occasionally swinging a sword or two around, the young Arc opted to go in search of the Highlord, only to find the elderly man asleep in his room. He was back to swinging swords aimlessly in the armory minutes later, listening to Pyrrha and the guards discuss fighting styles for what seemed like forever.

Blake was even shown the royal library by Wrath, seemingly ecstatic at all of the book strewn before her, even though behind her smile she could not drown the feeling of regret whenever she noticed Wrath's eyes lingering on her. He had barely said a word to her since they had arrived on Azeroth, and it was beginning to worry her greatly.

Which is most likely what possessed her into searching for his room in the middle of the night, while everyone else in the castle, aside from dozens of armored guards patrolling the halls, was asleep. It brought a feeling of kenopsia to the faunus for a moment.

She was sure that if Yang were conscious to see this then Blake would never hear the end of the teasing. Sneaking up to a guy's bedroom in the middle of the night dressed in nothing more than a loaned nightdress that more of a shirt thsn anything else and a pair of shorts, to discuss their possible love life.

Yup. Nothing weird about that at all.

After a few minutes of wandering aimlessly through the grandiose corridors of Stormwind Castle, Blake finally gave in, shuffling up to a guard who appeared as if he was about as thrilled about his current position as one would think. That is to say, very tired.

"Excuse me? Sir? Can you tell me where Wrath Duskblade's room is?" Blake asked when she came within a respectful earshot of the guard, causing him to make a startled grunt as he reached for his sword, ready for whatever threat had called out to him, only to calm down once more when he saw it was merely one of the guests.

"Lord Duskblade? He resides at the top of the north tower." The guard said as he shook the sleepiness from his eyes with a quick shake of the head before his eyes scanned Blake up and down, a small frown appearing behind his helm. "Though... I must warn you, Duskblade has a tendency to be _cross_ with those who seek him out at night. You may need to wait until daybreak."

"That won't be a problem." Blake said before giving the guard a quick nod and a small smile. "But thank you."

"A pleasure my Lady. Go in peace."

With that Blake turned away from the guard and headed directly for the north tower. She was going to talk to Wrath whether or not he wanted to. She had to.

* * *

As Blake glanced out of one of the many stained glass windows that lined the staircase of the north tower she could not help but to marvel at the city below her. It was certainly much larger than she had expected. All her life she assumed that Vale would be the biggest city that she would ever see but Stormwind shattered those assumptions like a steel mallet against glass.

It was a beautiful kingdom, that was for sure. It was like a kingdom from a fairytale. Yet this was no fairytale. She was really standing in a tower in a king's castle, overlooking a city that stretched as far as the eye could see. She almost laughed when she thought of how her younger self would have reacted to seeing such wonders. No doubt she would have begged her mother to take her.

The faunus finally tore herself away from her thoughts when she noticed that she had reached the top of the tower, a large ornate wooden door standing as a gateway between what was presumably Wrath's room and the outside world.

Without giving it a second thought, or considering what the guard had told her just moments before, Blake rapped her fist against the door, the echo from the wooden surface loudly emanating through the hallways.

A few moments later Blake heard a loud slam from the other side of the door, quickly followed by a quiet padding of feet that was drawing closer and closer to her with every passing second.

"Whoever's out there better have a **_damn_ ** good reason for waking me up at _3 in the morning_!" Yup. That was Wrath; and he sounded less than thrilled at being awoken.

Blake hesitated for a moment. Was it really that late? She had no time to consider her error, for the moment she realized her mistake the door that stood in front of her was suddenly pulled in, revealing a none too amused blood elf. "...It's me Wrath."

"Blake?!... What are you doing here?" Wrath asked as every ounce of irritation he had mustered melted from his expression, opening the door slightly wider as he leaned against the doorway.

Even in the low light of the torch lit hallway, she could see Wrath was wearing no armor, or even a shirt. His chest was covered with scars. One scar dominated the man's torso however. A large stab wound right where his heart lay, seemingly made with a large sword. Blake visibly faltered at this. That must have been the wound that...

"I have to talk to you..." Blake said as she regained her composure, though her ears folded back on her head as she spoke. "About earlier today..."

Wrath realized what Blake was insinuating almost instantly. He was off of the doorframe in a second as he put his hands out in front of his chest. "I-... No Blake. Let's just leave that conversation in the past alright? It shouldn't have come up. Go and get some sleep, we have a long trip ahead of us."

With that Wrath attempted to shut the door in Blake's face, only to have the faunus duck and dash forward, slipping under his arm and into his room before he was able to completely shut the door.

"Hey! Blake!" Wrath cried as he whipped around, only to find a pair of determined amber eyes staring back at him only a few feet from his face. He knew that look, and he knew it meant that until her piece was said that the only way to get her out of his room would be through force. Something he was Not going to do.

"Wrath hold on. Please just hear me out." Blake said as her expression softened. Harsh behavior would do her no good here, and she knew it. Even of the object of her affection was about as dense as Jaune in this respect.

However, Wrath surprised the young woman when he let out a small sigh, sadness dancing in his eyes. "Blake... Just _forget_ about that conversation ok? It's not a good idea..."

Blake approached him quickly, only to have the Death Knight back away, matching each step she took with one of his own. "Look I'm sorry about snapping at you. I shouldn't have, but can't you-..."

"That's not why Blake..." Wrath interrupted as he halted, nearly causing Blake to run into him, only stopping a foot or two from the blood elf.

"Then why?" She asked as she gave Wrath a bit of distance, though never quite strayed outside of arms reach from the Death Knight. Something he either did not notice or failed to comment on voluntarily.

"When I was fighting that Sargerei and you were helping Ruby... She said something to me. Reminded me of something that I've tried to bury..." Wrath muttered cryptically as he glanced at the wall, seemingly refusing to meet the gaze of his friend.

"What could she have possibly reminded you of that would make you not want..." Blake trailed off as her mouth refused to form the next few words of her statement for a moment, preferring instead to clamp itself shut. After a moment though she found it in herself to mutter, "For you and I to happen..."

Wrath sighed loudly as his shoulders slumped. "My past."

She was afraid he was going to say that. "What about it?..."

"You aren't stupid Blake... You can probably guess what I've done in my life without me having to tell you." Wrath explained as he began to pace back and forth, very obviously uncomfortable with the situation at hand. "I'm not someone who exactly has the _trust_ or _faith_ of the citizens of Azeroth, and I can't exactly _blame_ them."

"You might not have everyones trust. Maybe you never will." Blake said as she crossed her arms over her chest, though her expression never hardened. "But you've proved yourself enough to gain the the trust of a prince! Of every man, woman, and child in this castle!... And... _Mine_..."

"And what does that truly accomplish?" Wrath asked as he finally ceased pacing, opting instead to turn to face the faunus who stood before him. "My past will never vanish-..."

"And neither will mine."

"Huh?"

"Remember White Fang? The _'terrorist'_ organization I told you about?" Blake asked calmly, earning a nod from Wrath before continuing, her voice growing all the more quiet with each and every word. "I was one of them. For almost all of my life."

"...Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I know what it feels like to be looked at as the _'bad girl'_... Er guy, in your case." Blake said with a shrug before continuing, the determined glint in her eyes retuned. "But still, I know how it feels. That doesn't mean we should just roll over and let life spit on us for our mistakes."

"Blake you didn't exactly have much of choice when it came to being a Faunus." Wrath said, crossing his arms over his chest, though his eyes portrayed nothing but sympathy for the girl standing before him.

"And you _did_ when you became a Death Knight?" Everything froze at that moment.

 _"...I'm sorry?"_ He asked after a few tense seconds as his arms dropped back to his sides. He had never told Blake, or anyone in Beacon, much about the Death Knights. Sure, he had told her of his ability to summon the dead, control ice and sickness, and even his ability to augment weapons with runes of power. But he never told her how he became what he was.

"I spoke to Anduin after dinner. He told me what happened to your people... And what happened to you... Including your... _Condition_." Blake whispered as she slowly traced the largest scar on Wrath's chest, resting his hand directly on it when he offered no resistance to her touch. "That wasn't your fault _... None_ of it was..."

"Blake. I'm an undead monster, my fault or _not_..." Wrath said as he gently reached for the hand that was lain on his chest. Yet when he tried to pull, it did not move. "I can't change that. After what I've done I don't expect to be known as anything else. That's not something you want to get involved with. I'm fine with us being friends but-..."

"Wrath. Do you remember what you told me when I was sick?" Blake interrupted, finally withdrawing her hand from Wrath's chest, letting her hand fall to her side once more.

Wrath tilted his head to the side ever so slightly, prompting Blake to continue.

"You said that _'Sometimes monsters are just the noblest beings of all who have merely lost their way.'_..." She said, the determination in her eyes never fading. When Wrath failed to respond she sighed. "You aren't a monster... And even if you _Were_ , I can be pretty secure in saying that you just lost your way... You found it aga-..."

Wrath held his hand up, though his eyes refused to meet those of Blake's, instead centering a small crack in the floor. "Stop. I know I-..."

"Saved two of my best friends?" Blake said without missing a beat, barely goving herself time for breath before she continued to pour pressure into her argument. "Brought us somewhere safe? Gave us food and a place to stay?"

"That last one was Anduin."

" _Regardless._ You could have just left us to find our own solution to Ruby and Yang's injuries. You could have attacked the Sargerei. I saw how hard it was for you to walk away." Blake stopped for a moment, taking the time to let Wrath absorb all she had said. "But you did... And Ruby is going to be able to keep her _leg_ because of that."

Wrath remained silent, his arms coming back over his chest. Blake was quick to notice that this was not his standard pose however. He was wrapping his arms around his torso in a way that it nearly appeared as if he were hugging himself.

"...Do you want to know what a real monster is like?" Blake finally questioned with a soft voice, causing Wrath to glance up at her with curiosity in his pale blue eyes. Blake took a breath. "While I was in the White Fang I had a partner... His name was Adam."

Wrath's ears visibly perked up at this. He had heard overheard Weiss and Yang discussing that name in the past, but chose to never question it, assuming it to just be one of the many students of Beacon. Now that he had heard this bit of information however he was curious.

"When I first met him I idolized him. He was someone who truly believed that us Faunus could have our rightful place on Remnant." Blake explained, the frown on her face and the tone of her voice not quite matching up with the words she spoke until she took another breath. "Unfortunately he had... Little concern for those who either weren't faunus or for those who stood in his way. He would have never stopped to help Ruby or Yang..."

"I fail to see-..."

"He _enjoyed_ it Wrath. He enjoyed killing others. Watching humans suffer. I never did. And I know you never enjoyed what you had to do either." Blake's voice faded to a whisper as gently took ahold of Wrath's hand, wrapping his larger hand in both of her own. "You never had a choice. You never wanted to do what you did..."

"How would _you_ know?..." Wrath asked, his voice cracking slightly as his ears drooped.

The image of the dream that Blake had experienced all those weeks ago flashed in her mind. The woman who stood proud as she was cut down by her unwilling executioner, who offered a final prayer for the woman as she light had faded from her eyes. "Just trust me... _I know_..."

 _"...Blake..."_

"Do you get it now?" Blake asked as she drew ever closer to Wrath, stopping only when their faces were mere inches apart. "I don't care about what everyone thinks if you. I don't even care what you are. I only care about what I think of you..."

"You shouldn't have to deal with the prejudice I get from the citizens of Azeroth. You get enough of that in Remnant for who you are... At least this time you'll be able to make the _choice_." Wrath said as he placed hand on Blake's cheek, running his thumb against her skin.

"I already have..."

"You're making the _wrong one_..." Wrath responded, though his hand never ceased stroking her face. If anything, it seemed to have grown more comfortable with it's hold on the faunus.

"No. I'm not..."

"Just walk away Blake..." Wrath said as he began to back away, only to have Blake grab onto his wrist before his hand could leave her face. At first Wrath thought to force his hand away, only to stop cold when he saw a pair of amber eyes staring into his own. "Please..."

Blake responded by takes a single step towards him, closing the gap between them once more, though this time Wrath failed to retreat. He was rooted in place. Did he even want to move? He was not sure anymore.

 _"No."_

Wrath sighed as he wrapped his arms gently around Blake's waist, pulling her close when she offered no protest to the physical contact. This should not feel right. He should just push her out of the door. He couldn't though. He never would be able to. "Why are you so stubborn?"

Blake shrugged as she placed her forehead against the Death Knight's chest, her ears brushing against the large scar on his chest as their owner chuckled softly. "I get it from my mother."

"So nothing I say will make you leave?" Wrath asked, finally permitting a small smirk to appear on his face, his grip on the ninja in his grasp tightening as he placed his chin on the top of her head, letting his eyes shut.

"There. You're catching on." Blake responded with a smirk of her own as she let her arms snake around Wrath's neck.

Blake and Wrath stood in silence for what seemed like eternity then. Neither one willing to release the other from their grip. Despite every passing second, every breath taken, every sigh uttered, neither one moved.

"Someday Blake... I promise; someday..." Wrath whispered as he slowly brought his hands up against Blake's back, finally enveloping her in a true hug. The first true hug the blood elf had experienced in years. "But not today..."

Blake pressed herself against his chest with a small smile, listening to soft thumping of Wrath's heartbeat. This was enough for now. She could accept his answer. But not before uttering the very words Wrath had said to her the night they met.

"Tomorrow is another day..."

* * *

It had been a relatively uneventful morning. When Blake awoke she found that she was no longer in the north tower, but was wrapped comfortably in blankets in the guest room she had been assigned. Blake would have thought the events from the night before to be no more than some form of lucid dream had Wrath not given her a small smile, followed by a spontaneous hug in the middle of the hallway, which she happily returned.

At breakfast the two of them were much less awkward around each other, back to their old selves once more, much to the relief of those around them who had noticed the strange divide between the two.

Ruby had finally been able to stay awake for more than a few minutes and was now limping around with the help of Crescent Rose as a crutch, though Anduin was never far behind to assist her, despite multiple guards insisting they could do it for him. He wanted to secretly, though he gave the excuse that he was just like everyone else, and that helping others was above no man.

Jaune and Pyrrha had both elected to stay behind to both look after Ruby, though Jaune secretly wanted to inquire to the Highlord to see if the elderly man would teach him more about the 'Light'.

As Wrath, now dressed in his armor and hood once more, continued to attach a large sleigh to his crimson armored Deathcharger named Vengeance, he could not help but to let out a small laugh. Just a few months previous if someone had told him that he would be experiencing all that had happened in the last few weeks he would have laughed in their face.

Satisfied with his work, Wrath gave a short nod before glancing back into the sleigh, where Yang's limp unconscious form lay, wrapped in a small mountain of blankets that Anduin had insisted be brought along, along with a bag filled to the brim with foods that the Beacon students had never even heard of.

"Wrath."

"Hmm?" Wrath's thoughts were broken by a small voice. Tilting his head, his eyes finally lamded upon Ruby, who was leaning against Anduin for support, much to the prince's secret delight.

"Bring my sister back safe. _Please..."_

Wrath gave the reaper a reassuring smile as he glanced over at the group once more as he fished in a small pouch attached to his waist in search of a Scourgestone. "We will. I promise."

Ruby nodded before she released her hold on Anduin, putting all of her weight on Cresent Rose as she hobbled over to her elder sister, who's breathing had steadied to a normal rate since her emergency healing session the night before.

"I love you sis... Please stay _strong_..." Ruby whispered into Yang's ear as she stared down at her sister with sad eyes. She wanted to come with them, to see to it that her sister was healed as soon as possible. She knew she would only be a burden however. She did not need anyone to tell her that, even if it hurt to admit that it was the truth.

Meanwhile Wrath had finally located a Scourgestone in the pouch and had begun to make a death gate. Unfortunately due to the size of the the gate he was creating, along with forcing it to transport the caravan to a position in the lands below Acherus as opposed to Acherus itself, Wrath could do nothing to assure Ruby. He could only listen as Ruby sighed softly.

Ruby gave Yang's limp form one last hug before using Crescent Rose to turn herself around, hobbling back to the group like a penguin, crossing paths with Blake as she made her way over to the cart.

Blake was dressed in her usual attire, however one strange thing caught the eyes of the others. On top of her usual outfit she wore a strange black cloth that wrapped around her upper arms in an diagonal cross like fashion which were inscribed with a series of light blue runes that seemed to almost sparkle in the morning sunlight.

Without a word, the faunus hopped into the sleigh, demonstrating her feline like movement as she vaulted over the back of the sleigh, landing next to her unconscious friend with a soft thud.

Just as Blake landed in the sleigh Wrath finished charging the Scourgestone, causing a massive portal large enough for the caravan to fit through easily to appear. The Death Knight gave a sigh of relief when he saw the portal, thankful that it had worked, before turning back to Blake, a smile appearing on his face. "You ready?"

"As I'll ever be." Blake responded with a smile of her own before reaching down into one of the many bags in the sleigh, pulling out a thick book which she got right to work on, barely even skimming the title before her nose was buried in it's text.

"Come back safe you three!" Pyrrha called out to the caravan as she and the others who were remaining behind in Stormwind began waving, watching as their friends began their journey, knowing that they would be with them in spirit.

"Alright Vengeance..." Wrath said quietly as he spurred his Deathcharger into the Death Gate. "Let's go _home_..."

* * *

 **Yes, Wrath did just deny Blake. Please don't destroy me, I promise they'll be together soon enough. Oh! As for the friend that Wrath is speaking of, he's the reason I didn't want to add any OCs into the story, since it would have become too confusing. This character has technically been in the story since the beginning, but still, don't want to flood the story.**

 **Just a little note for the travel time for the group to Silvermoon, Azeroth is a much bigger place than represented in the World of Warcraft. I'm actually cutting the travel time down significantly if you can believe that! We'll still be following Wrath and Blake mainly, but don't worry, if you wanted to see Ruby and Anduin's relationship actually take flight, I will be releasing more than one one-shot on the two of them**

 **Alright! I've rambled enough! Christmas special should be out soon! Hope you enjoyed the read! Thanks for reading!...**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Hey wait... His heartbeat?**


	8. Chapter 8: The Warlock and the Truth

**Hoooooly craaap. It is 5 in the morning here in Britain (on vacation) and I almost lost this chapter just as I finished it. I write these on a pretty old ipad, before I email them to my computer to actually submit to FFN, only to find out that the settings for the old email I was using on the ipad no longer were valid; hacked I suppose. So I just spent an hour or so figuring out how to get this chapter onto FFN. Thank god for the copy and paste document submitting method huh?**

 **Also just a little apology for how long this chapter took to get out! A rather big reveal is coming this chapter and I just could not for the life of me figure out exactly how I was going to stage the big reveal, but I did it, finally.**

 **Phoenix Paladin; Well it won't be postponed much longer at the very least. Also everyone needs a little bit of secret romance every once in a while right? Yeah Ruby is a little thick sometimes, and it'll probably be a while before they're actually together, but that won't stop Anduin I don't think.** **Jaune being trained under Tirion is much more important than I actually let on in that chapter. After all, like you said, Tirion is getting old, and with the Legion coming, Azeroth will need heroes now more than ever. I'll let you stew on what I mean.**

 **Raging Archon; Thanks! Yes, Wrath's friend will finally be appearing in this chapter, though we have already seen him once in the story, though he never was named. Blake will be very interested in Azeroth's history I'm sure. Hopefully Jaune learning to become a Paladin will go a little smoother than learning to become a huntsmen. Ahh yes, you will be learning about Wrath's death. Much sooner than you probably thought.**

 **ww1990ww; Yeah, Azeroth is actually a pretty massive place! I did end up cutting the travel time down since Yang would practically be dead from dehydration and starvation by the time they would have reached Silvermoon in a realistic scenario, hence why I had a deathcharger carrying the sleigh; it will be able to travel nearly non-stop. I plan to either do a few one shots of the events that occur in stormwind, but I'm more than happy to put it into a small 3-6 chapter story if you would all rather that! And I can only imagine how mad Ozpin is at Wrath for essentially kidnapping 4 of his best students... And Jaune.**

 **Alright! I've rambled enough! Enjoy!**

* * *

The Warlock and the Truth

* * *

"Wrath? Where are w-..."

Yang's head was pounding. Was that Blake's voice? She was relatively sure that it had been. Her eyes would not open no matter how much she willed them to. It only sent a surge of pain through her skull each time she tried

"The plaguela-..." That voice had been male; Wrath perhaps. Yang could not hear them clearly. Something was blocking their voice. Something soft and warm. Comforting even. "Used to-... Lordaeron-... Now in darkness..."

Where was she? The last thing she could remember, she was fighting that... Thing who attacked Ruby. She had charged at the creature. But then? What had happened? Had she won? Or had the creature gotten the better of her?

"What-..." That was definitely Blake's voice, Yang was almost positive now. Why was it so close to where Wrath's was coming from? She tensed the muscles in her head, attempting to hear what they were saying through the searing pain in her cranium. "Do you think-... Alright without Yang?"

"Ruby is a strong g-... Be fine-..." Ruby. They were talking about Ruby. Had her sister survived the attack? It had been a relatively major wound that Ruby had suffered but... No. They were right. Ruby was strong; stronger than most gave her credit for.

"Yang's twitch-... Blankets-..." Blake's voice echoed. Suddenly Yang felt the top of her body shift around. Something was being tightened around her torso. That soft material shifted around, rubbing against her skin. As it did though she realized something horrible.

She couldn't feel her legs. Were they still there? She wasn't sure.

"How are-... Burns?" Wrath seemed concerned. Yang had only spent time with the blood elf on the briefest of occasions, and almost always with Blake present ar the same time. Still though, his voice certainly showed concern. Yang would have smiled if she could.

"Still stable-... I hope-... Friend can help..." Blake seemed just as concerned as the Death Knight, her voice riddled with uncertainty.

"He can..." Wrath answered.

"You should-... Need your rest..." Blake said in a quiet voice, so quiet in fact that if Yang had not been attempting to listen into their conversation then it would have just completely slipped her by.

"Nice-... But-... I don't need it..." Wrath answered, his own voice hushed, though not quite to the extent of Blake's own. As far as Yang was aware the two of them had no idea she was awake. Why were their voices so hushed? Perhaps to make sure they would not wake her up.

"Yes you-... Come here-..." Blake said, the disappointment evident in her voice.

What in the world were those two talking about now? She couldn't think straight. The pain in her head was beginning to becoming overwhelming. Yet she could not make a sound.

"We'll be in Silver-... Morning-... If I keep moving." Wrath said, though Yang was finding it harder and harder to concentrate with the pulsing pain in her head. Words were beginning to meld together. She was relatively sure she would lose consciousness soon.

"Alri-... I'll-... Owe me!" Blake seemed disappointed, though the humor in her voice was plain.

Yang couldn't focus anymore. The darkness that already dominated her vision was returning to consume her consciousness. As the shadows gripped her mind once more, she took in a ragged breath. She wouldn't let this control her, she wouldn't let this silence her.

So with all the effort she could muster, she uttered a single word.

"...Ru...by..."

The darkness won.

* * *

The trip to Quel'Thalas was not an easy one. It had been over a week since they had set out in the direction of the elven kingdom, and with each passing day Blake became more and more antsy. She was beginning to feel like Ruby during a sugar high. She had seriously considered asking Wrath to stop on more than one occasion just so she could stretch her legs.

Sure, she could easily stand in the sleigh, but that just became a cruel reminder that she was confined to the caravan. She had even opted to ride on Wrath's Deathcharger with him, but even that was only a temporary release from the confines of the sleigh.

Every single book she had decided looked good enough to bring with them had been read, every sort of exercise she could think of doing while sitting down had been done to death. She just wanted to take a freaking walk!

Eventually though during the last days of their journey, Blake had elected to catch up on sleeping, which helped pass the time rather quickly, with hours lost to the void of travel. She would have much preferred to talk with one of her journey companions, however Yang was still sound asleep, and she wanted to give Wrath a break from all of the questions about Azeroth.

She had learned quite a bit about the world over the last few days. Wrath had given her some basic history lessons in the form of campfire stories whenever they stopped so Blake could eat. She constantly offered her elven friend food, but only rarely would he accept the sustenance offered to him, stating it was much more important that Blake stay fed.

Despite her best attempts to deviate, just in hopes that Wrath would eat or rest with her, that was usually how a night would go. Stop in some small alcove or clearing, eat some little part of the rations and hope Wrath would eat, listen to Wrath tell her a story of some famous battle or event long past that shaped the world she now traveled in, and sleep under the stars of a planet that she had not even been born on.

That had even been what had happened the night before, though as she would learn soon after waking, their nights of travel were at their end.

When Blake had first opened her eyes, she had honestly thought herself to still be in a dream. All around her a torrent of vibrant colors filled her vision the moment her eyelids pried themselves open.

It was a forest, but one unlike anything she had ever seen before. Animals of every shape and size darted between trees that looked to be as old as the ground they stood upon, their majesty only enchanted by the bizarre shapes they took on.

"This place is... _Amazing_..." Blake said as her amber eyes scanned the forests surrounding them. They were like something out of an old fairy tale. Despite winter setting in on the rest of Azeroth, this forest stayed completely untouched. It could honestly only be described as magical. "Did you really grow up here?"

"Yeah. I was born in a village a few miles from the gates of the city." Wrath explained as he gave a short glance back, his glowing runic eyes meeting either Blake's own for but a moment before they were focused on the path once more. "We passed it a few hours ago. They sent a runner ahead to inform the city guard that we would be arriving with an injured party."

"They'll take us to your friend?" Blake asked when she finally found the strength in herself to tear her gaze from the forests surrounding them.

"Yes. My friend spends most of his time in Sunfury Spire, the city's palace, as a researcher for our current ruler, The Regent Lord." Wrath explained, his gaze not deviating from the path that lay before them this time, though a small smirk appeared on his face. Blake certainly did enjoy learning about Azeroth for whatever reason. Who was he to stop her from learning if that was her wish?

"Researcher? What does he study?"

"Yes. An archeologist to be exact. He spends most of his free time collecting artifacts, and the Regent Lord decided to put those skills to use. Makes good money doing it." He said with a small shrug, though his tone remained patient. He normally would not even bother answering such a question, as it would have been answered I due time regardless. But she was Blake. Of course he was going to answer her.

"And you're sure he can help Yang?" Blake asked, clearly nervous as to the outcome of the upcoming meeting with this mysterious friend of Wrath's. Truth be told she had doubts that this man could do all that Wrath claimed, but right now it was Yang's only chance. She just had to trust that the Death Knight knew what he was talking about.

"If he can't, then I'm not sure who can."

* * *

If the forests of Eversong were a magical place that radiated beauty, then the gates of Silvermoon City were the very definition of grace and elegance itself. The gold and red arches of the city towered over the ancient trees of the forest, seemingly scraping against the sky.

As the sleigh pulled up to the gates where 3 guards were waiting, Wrath expected little trouble. Perhaps a question or two before they would be on their way. After all he had sent the runner ahead of them. Which is why when the guards suddenly took a defensive position along one of the smaller entrances to the city, Wrath nearly passed them by, thinking it to be a joke.

 _"Halt!"_ The guard exclaimed as he held a glove covered hand out towards the caravan that approached him. His tone had been anything but joking. "Stop where you are!"

Wrath pulled on Vengeance's reigns right then and there, halting the caravan in it's tracks. Blake meanwhile had thrown a blanket over Yang, and a hood over her own head. Something told her that these men would be trouble.

"What is it?" Wrath was less than amused at being stopped in such a way.

"We were told that there was an elven Death Knight traveling with an injured passenger to meet with the royal archeologist, we received no information as to the Race of the passengers." The guard spat out, almost literally, as he marched over to the sleigh, stopping only a few feet away.

He and Blake locked eyes, prompting the Faunus to glare at the man. She could tell in but a moment that this man was the very definition of arrogance. His green eyes were hard and calculated, with an overwhelming amount of pride sprinkled in. Nothing like the cold yet caring blue eyes she had grown used to seeing.

"And that's an issue?" Said blue eyed elf asked as he turned on his horse, facing the guard who was drawing much too close to Blake for his liking. At least if him reaching for his runeblade was any real indication.

"The _Human_ kingdoms are part of the _Alliance_." The guard growled as he continued to bore his eyes into the faunus before him. Blake was relatively sure she felt a drop of spit hit her cheek. "We are-..."

"It seems you've _forgotten_ ; the Grand Alliance and the New Horde are discussing peace terms ever since the invasion of Draenor." Wrath explained, causing the guard to back away from Blake, transferring his gaze to the Death Knight instead. "The two factions have agreed to allow minor mingling between citizens, _regardless_ of creed or race."

"I have not forgotten, _however-..."_ The guard was silenced by Wrath's outstretched hand.

"There _is_ no however..." Wrath exclaimed, his voice low, as he repositioned himself on his Deathcharger, taking a proper riding stance once more. "Now... Do you really want to turn away an injured human? Or will you kindly take us to the Sunfury Spire so that my friend can receive medical attention?"

"Very well... This way _'sir'_." The guard said, motioning for the other guards to let the group pass, but not before glancing away with a small grumble. Then Blake heard it. "Scourge monster..."

Blake glared at the guard. Thanks to her ears she had been able to hear exactly what the guard had said. However, just as she was about to speak up, she noticed Wrath shaking his head out of the corner of her eye, prompting her to settle back into the cart, glaring at the guard's back as he and several guards surrounded the sleigh in an escort fashion.

Wrath shook his head once more, this time to himself with a small sigh, before he spurred the sleigh into the city gates, following the small detachment of guards that had decided to escort them into the shining city.

* * *

The very moment that they were inside of the city walls Blake was almost immediately glancing around the city in wonder, taking in the various sights and sounds of the high home of the elves.

Brooms were sweeping the streets by themselves, plant pots hung in midair as if suspended by microscopic wire, and large stone and crystal constructs patrolled the city streets, occasionally spitting out what Blake could only assume was propaganda.

Other races of people were also in the city. The faunus quickly took note of the rather major distinctions between the various races that milled about the city streets.

There were large muscle bound humanoids, most likely the Orcs. Lanky blue men with large tusks were peddling voodoo supplies, the Trolls, Blake thought. A few rotting corpses that walked and talked like any other living being also crossed their path more than once; the forsaken most likely. There were even cow men, goblins, and pandas walking about throughout the city!

However, before she could take the time to completely take in all the new experiences and people surrounding her, yelling suddenly sprung up from one of the many large avenues of the city. Moments later various blood elves, along with a few other races that made up the populace of the city, ran from a particular street, all spouting curses in various languages.

Among the throngs of people running from the street, a guard separated himself from the pack, bolting over to the guards escorting the caravan with a wild fear in his eyes. He was dressed much like the other guards, however the shield and blade he carried looked to be lacking in the quality department compared to the weapons of the other guards. A guard in training perhaps.

" _D-Demon!_ Demon in the market!" The novice guard sputtered out after he took a few moments to catch his breath, his shoulders shaking in either fatigue or fear. Which one, Blake could not be sure.

" _What?!_ What's going on?!" The guard, who was obviously the captain, asked not quite believing what he had heard at first, though the look on the younger guard's face told him all that he needed to know.

"The royal archaeologist's demon has been spotted in the market sir! It's headed this way!" The novice guard clarified, the terror never leaving his gaze.

"Damn Fel-beast!" The captain growled out. With a grunt of annoyance, the captain drew a thin curved blade that shined with a red tint in the sunlight. Holding it out before him he began to yell to his men. "Take up defensive positions! Don't let it attack civilians!"

Suddenly, before the guards could even get themselves into position, a massive felhunter, much larger than a normal demon of its kind, burst from the crowds of people who immediately scattered in every direction, desperately attempting to escape the beasts attention.

It was far from interested in the random civilians that surrounded it however. It's target was the sleigh that sat a few dozen meters from it.

With what could only be described as a roar, the felhunter leapt from its potision, charging the guards and the sleigh, only to come to a stop just in front of the line of guards, who all glanced at one another nervously, none of them wanting to be the first to attack the great beast that stood only a few feet away, it's massive tendrils whipping dangerously at the air.

Realizing that the guards would do little in terms of stopping the monster that had just appeared before them, Blake stood, drawing Gambol Shroud, only to hesitate when she heard Wrath... Laughing?

Without so much as a word of warning to Blake or the guards, the elven Death Knight dismounted Vengeance and casually strolled over to the Felhunter, not even bothering to draw his blade, stopping only a foot or two in front of the demon, who easily stood at the height of the elf's chest.

When he approached, the felhunter visibly tensed, only to calm itself once more when Wrath reached out, laying his gauntleted hand on the demon's snout. It seemed as if time had stopped at that moment. All was silent. No one dared move.

Until the demon slowly moved one of it's tendrils over to Wrath, softly placing it against the Death Knight's nose, causing Wrath to chuckle. This continued on for a few more moments, the two staring at each other until Wrath's chuckling grew into much louder laughing. "...So are you just going to stand there or are you going to say 'hi'?"

The felhunter responded in kind by tackling Wrath to the ground with, Wrath wrestling with it playfully while the guards and Blake watched on in complete astonishment at the sudden change in demeanor from both Knight and Demon.

"Carcharoth! That's my arm!" Wrath laughed as they continue to wrestle on the ground, with a few civilians who had previously been attempting to flee the demon now glancing over at the two, small smiles appearing on their faces.

Wrath eventually sat up and the felhunter, evidentially named Carcharoth, ceased his 'attack' as Wrath began to pat his head affectionately.

"Well... I suppose that was _one_ way to calm the demon..." One guard, who had lowered his weapons once he realized that there was no threat, said as his mouth tilted into a friendly grin.

"It matters little... You!" The head guard, who was far from amused at the sight before him, yelled at Wrath as he pointed to Carchroth, disgust in his gaze. "I assume you can control this beast?"

"The _'beast'_ has a name." Wrath said, continuing to pat the felhunter unabated, though the jovial smile he had worn previously vanished upon hearing the head guard's voice. "So if you wouldn't mind _Not_ relating him to your wife, that'd be swell."

"Why you _little_ -..." The guard seethed, only to recompose himself quickly once one of the other guards laid a hand on his shoulder. "Just... Bring it with you to the palace. It causes too much damage out here!"

"Fine, fine." Wrath gave Carcharoth's nose a pat one last time before rising to his feet. "C'mon bud."

Wrath quickly mounted Vengeance once more, spurring him on as Carcharoth took up position next to the sleigh, strolling beside it and the extremely nervous guards, aside from one who's face still showed resentment for the elf atop the crimson armored Deathcharger.

"Please do be quiet and courteous when we do arrive. The royal archeologist has little time for distraction..." The head guard instructed after a few minutes of awkward silence, save for the clanking of armor from Wrath and the various guards.

"Don't worry about it... I'm the very essence of subtlety."

* * *

Perhaps a quiet and courteous entrance was a bit much to ask from Wrath.

"Oh honey I'm home!" The death knight cried happily as he threw his arms into the air with a large grin on his face, with Carcharoth growling happily, bounding into the room, his large talon-like claws nearly tearing holes into the carpet.

"Fantastic." A voice came from the other end of the room, all while Carcharoth hopped loudly into the corner, sniffing around with his tendrils. "Where's the child support?"

When Blake glanced over at the source of the voice she found a rather strange sight. Another elf. At least she thought. The entirety of his face was covered in a strange hood with a dark metal plate attached to it's front, much like a white fang mask, hiding the identity of the man. His purple and grey robes were of a strange make as well, with various points on his shoulderpads leaking with pure green fel energy.

"In the maw of an angry crocalisk last I checked. You're welcome to go and get it whenever." Wrath said, seemingly completely unfazed by the strangely garb bed elf that sat before him with a book in his hand. "You better watch it though Varimas; I heard it likes Warlock."

 _"Funny."_ The elf, Varimas, muttered as he shut the book he had been reading with a loud clap before finally noticing the black haired girl standing awkwardly in the doorway. "Oh, who's this?"

"Blake Belladonna." Blake said with a small nod attempting to appear calm, though the apprehension in her voice betrayed her true outlook on the situation. This was an unknown man wearing an imposing mask. A man who could easily tell she was sizing him up, determining whether or not to treat him as a threat. Once she seemed satisfied she continued. "Huntress-In-Training of Remnant."

 _"Remnant?_ Never heard of it." Varimas took a single glance at Blake's ears before his tone suddenly grew slightly harsher, as if judging her himself. "Is that a new name for the kingdom of Gilneas?"

"Gilneas?"

"The ears. You're a Worgen right?" Varimas said, sounding unsure of even himself, though his harsh tone remained. He had seen those ears before. The features of a human on an animal... But where?...

"She's not a Worgen Var. Remnant is a completely different world." Wrath said, strolling over to the desk where the other elf sat, leaning against it. "Her species is known as Faunus. Essentially they _look_ like humans, just with animal-like traits."

"Fascinating..." Varimas said, his tone jovial once more, before noticing the look on Blake and Wrath's face. "From the way you're both looking at me, I can be safe in assuming that you _aren't_ just here to show off your new girlfriend?"

Blake blushed at this, while Wrath let out a low growl. "She's not my-..."

 _"Mhm."_

" _Look_. We're here because a warrior from Blake's world has been injured." Wrath explained, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation, as he brought himself off of the desk, making his way back over to Blake.

"Wrath, you should know I can't heal people." Varimas said, a small sigh escaping his lips, still hidden behind the face mask he wore. "How in Azeroth's name could I _possibly_ be of any he-..."

"She's sustained Fel-fire burns. _Bad_ Fel-fire burns."

It was silent for a moment. Only the sounds of Carchroth chewing on a random trinket in the corner along with the shifting of Varimas' robes kept the room from complete silence. Eventually Varimas finally spoke. "Fel-fire? How? Only powerful Warlocks are able to call on Fel-fire."

 _"Exactly."_

"I think you had better tell me what's going on Wrath." Varimas muttered, tossing the book that had been in his hands over to the small pile that he had been making over the course of the day.

"Remember a couple months ago how you made me a portal to Dalaran so we could all celebrate my birthday?" Wrath asked as he crossed his arms, raising one in order to move the stray hair from his face.

"Yes. It was the first time I've used arcane magic in years." Varimas answered, leaning back in his chair.

"Well you remember how you failed _spectacularly_ -..." Wrath rolled his eyes as he recieved the one-fingered salute from the masked elf. "...-and sent me to another world?"

"Yes. I also remember having to run to the magic quarter of the Garrison just to find a few magi to locate you and get a portal to your position. Cost me nearly _500_ gold." The Warlock said, glaring at Wrath from behind his mask. That had been an entire fortnights payment down the drain thanks to that damn portal. "Why?"

"Because... Uh-..." Wrath coughed as he snuck a glance at Blake before turning his attention back to the masked elf. "Well that's not important right now. What's important is that somehow a Sargerei Warlock was able to sneak into the portal while we were debating-..."

 _"Arguing."_

"...- _Arguing_ in front of it." Wrath said, the exasperation clear in his voice. "She's been killed, but as I said, Blake's friend was near fatally wounded in the process."

"I see... Very well, bring her in. I'll see what I can do." Varimas said as he cleared the remaining knick-knacks off table with a slow sweep of his arm, the various writing and reading supplies landing in a small pile on the floor. "But you're paying for her medical supplies."

"Fair enough." Wrath replied, only to fall into a bout of silence once he realized that he forgotten to disclose a rather important detail to the other elf. "But there's something you should know about her..."

Varimas tilted his head towards Wrath, not uttering a word.

"She's human." Wrath could practically sense Varimas' brows furrowing in anger, causing him to put his hands in front of him, like a trader who's barter had just gone south. "Now wait, before you get annoyed-..."

"Wrath you _know_ how I feel about humans!..." Varimas exclaimed as he rose to his feet, his fists clenched at his sides. "Out of all the things on Azeroth you could _possibly_ ask me to do, you want me to _help_ -..."

"I know how you feel... But neither Blake nor her friend are natives of Azeroth..." Wrath explained, a small sigh escaping his lips as his hand subconsciously found the base of Blake's back, resting there as he continued to speak. "Her friend has _nothing_ against us... She's not... Part of _what happened_..."

Varimas remained silent for a moment, the tension in the air so thick you could have practically cut it with a knife, all while Wrath stared at his friend from across the room.

"...I suppose you're right..." Varimas relented, his shoulders slumping visibly as the feeling of anger left him. "Very well..."

Wrath turned his attention to the door. _"Guards!_ You can bring her in!"

A few moments later two royal guards dressed in the regalia of Silvermoon's elite wheeled in a crude wheelchair on which sat an unconscious Yang, who's legs were completely covered by a blanket. The guards bowed and were absent from the room a few seconds later.

"Her name is Yang Xiao Long..." Wrath explained as he walked over to the fallen warrior, removing the blanket carefully, exposing the grizzly burns that still covered her legs like a sheet. "She's also a soon to be Huntress from Remnant..."

Varimas strolled over a moment later and kneeled down next to the wheelchair, resting his hand on her forehead for a moment.

"Well... She's extremely hot..." Varimas said, his hand still on her forehead. "...And her temperature is _way_ above normal!"

The satisfying crack of Wrath's gauntlet covered hand impacting the back of Varimas' hood a moment later echoed throughout the room, the sound hanging in the air for a moment as the Warlock shook his head, attempting to quickly recover from the unexpected blow.

 _"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!"_

Meanwhile, Blake silently observed the two elves, quickly taking note of how easily they interacted with each other. If she were to be told that the two of them brothers she would find it hard to not believe it.

"Wrath, I'm going to be blunt here, I can't remove this fel-energy safely right now, especially not without the right tools. The burns are too severe and have festered for far too long..." The now recovered Varimas said, finally removing his hand from Yang's forehead. "But..."

"But what?"

"I could convert and reroute the energy so that Yang here could use it. Essentially giving her the ability to use it as a weapon." The Warlock explained, running his finger along one of the nastier looking burns that covered Yang's leg, earning a small grimace from the unconscious girl in return.

"The alternative?"

"She never walks again."

Wrath sighed, taking the information in. Part of him knew an answer like that would be coming, they were rather serious wounds after all, but he still hoped that such an answer would never have come. He pondered the options for but a moment before turning his gaze over to Blake, a small frown present on his face. "It's your call Blake."

"My call? Why _me_?" Blake asked surprised.

"Yang's your teammate." Wrath pointed out, softly shrugging as looked over at Yang, scanning her wounds. They had not gotten any better since leaving Stormwind; worse if anything. "I'm not going to make a potentially life changing choice for a girl I've only spoken to a few times."

Blake's eyes quickly found the floor as her mind raced, desperately weighing the pros and cons of both choices. Sure, being able to use such a powerful attack would no doubt be a boost to Yang, but would she be able to control it if she ever entered one of her rage induced states?

At the same time however, not being able to walk would most certainly damn Yang to a wheelchair for the rest of her life. Weiss would probably be able to buy Yang the best cyborg limbs money could buy, but even those had flaws. Would she be able to live with herself knowing that she essentially ordered her friend into a handicapped state?

No. She would never be able to do such a thing. They would figure out how to control Yang's power if need be. They had always found a way out of seemingly impossible situations before with just a little teamwork. Why should this time be any different?

It was for this reason that Blake finally returned her gaze to the elves who waited for her answer. " _Do it."_

"Very well. Wrath, could you and Blake get our patient onto the table with the old cloth over there?" Varimas said as he pointed to the table that he had been using as a research station only a few minutes beforehand. "I'll go and get my dagger."

"Dagger? What are you going to do?" Blake asked, nearly every single alarm bell in her head going off at once.

"Reroute the power to a central location before converting it into a useable resource." Varimas explained as he walked over to one of many bookshelves that surrounded the room, reaching behind a stack of books. A moment later he pulled out a sharp looking knife about the length of a kitchen blade, though much more ornate, with the royal seal of Silvermoon forming the base. "The blade will be a conduit for the rerouting process."

"So you're going to _stab_ her?!" Blake nearly yelled, before composing herself. If this elf had wanted to hurt Yang intentionally he would have when he had first laid his hand upon her forehead. That did not stop the next question from flying out of Blake's mouth however. "Don't you think that's a little... I dunno, _extreme_?"

"She won't feel much. The burns have already put her nerves in the lower half of her body into dormancy." Varimas explained, withdrawing a small bottle of glowing green liquid from the same shelf that the knife had been resting.

"Fine. Just _Try_ to be gentle. Because if you hurt her, I _won't_ be..." Blake ordered, her tone deadly serious. Wrath's friend or not, she would not let him harm Yang.

Varimas gave the faunus that stood before him a small reassuring nod. "You have my word..."

With that, Wrath and Blake approached Yang, lifting the blonde brawler from her temporary wheelchair to the table, laying her on her stomach against the cold marble surface.

A few moments later, Varimas brought a seat over to the table, along with a pillow, which he promptly used to cushion Yang's head. A migraine from laying her head against such a hard surface would do little good. With that done, the Warlock took a seat, reaching over to dip the blade in the strange potion, eventually positioning it just above Yang's spine.

"Alright... Carefully... Carefully..." Varimas said more to himself than anyone else, slowly inching the blade into exactly the right position. Of course he would take this as slowly as he could. He had the patience to preform such a surgery.

Wrath however, did not.

"Oh for-... Give me that!" The Death Knight said before ripping the dagger out of Varimas' hand, and jamming it into Yang's back with a wet thud that nearly stopped the hearts of both of the room's other occupants.

 _"WRATH!..."_ Varimas yelled, about to lift himself from his seat before calming down with a sigh. Somehow Wrath had hit the spot dead center. Luckily. "...At least you stuck it in the right place."

"Happy to be of service, now onto-..." Wrath was quickly silenced by a purple gloved hand shooting out in front of him, causing him to glare down at its owner, who had not even taken his eyes away from the knife.

" _Nuh-uh._ You promised you would go and get bandages for when I pull the knife out." Varimas reminded Wrath, causing said Death Knight to groan loudly, slumping his shoulders as if he were a misbehaving child being ordered around by an overly strict parent.

"Come on Var, can't you just get one of the guards to-..." A hand was held in front of his face once more. He wanted to bite his finger.

" _Go!"_

"Fine. Come on Carcharoth." Wrath grumbled, exiting the room with the felhunter in tow, who was yipping happily at the prospect of returning to the market.

Varimas shook his head before turning back to Yang, starting the procedure.

With a small string of words that Blake could not recognize, Varimas began channeling magic through his fingertips into the blade. A moment later the burns that had once dominated Yang's skin started ever so slowly flowing away from her legs towards the dagger, the skin around the knife getting darker and darker, while her hair tips began to grow bright green.

After a few minutes of silence, both faunus and elf watching as the burns receded, Varimas finally brought his hand around around the hilt of the dagger, chanting in some strange language, causing the wound to glow and Yang to shriek and struggle in her sleep.

"Blake, hold her shoulders down." Varimas ordered, never withdrawing his hand from the blade's hilt. "If she struggles too much she could end up severing her spinal chord. It would take weeks before even the priests could heal such an injury."

Blake nodded, before doing as the Warlock said, placing her hands against Yang's back, holding her teammate down as Varimas finished his spell, the blade growing a sickly green as Yang continued to scream in pain.

Eventually, after a few agonizingly long minutes, Yang's screaming ceased, her voice to ragged to continue straining itself. Varimas nodded and motioned for Blake to release her friend. "You can let go now."

Blake did not need to be told twice, and backed away, glancing around the room, pretending not to pay attention to the surgery taking place before her on one of her best friends.

"So you and Wrath... How'd that end up happening?" Varimas said after a long silence, though he never diverted his focus from the blonde in front of him, nearly laughing when he saw Blake's face.

"Oh, we aren't actually _dating_ we just-..."

"Don't pull that. I saw the way you two were looking at each other." Varimas said as he continued to force the fel energy through Yang's body. "I have to congratulate you though, you're probably one of the first people on Azeroth to find themselves in a relationship with a Death Knight."

"We really aren't." Blake muttered as her ears folded against the top of her head, while her hands suddenly found a big of cloth on her shirt. "I mean we do have Something and he said eventually we could be together but that he wanted me to be sure before we started."

"Sure of what? Being with someone who wears his hair in a hideous ponytail?" Varimas chuckled loudly.

"Sure that I would openly date someone who's... _Dead,_ for lack of a better term." Blake explained, only to stop dead when she heard Varimas snicker once more, prompting the faunus to glare at the elf's back. "What's so funny?"

"Wrath is still using that excuse?" Varimas shook his head softly, his laughter quickly dying down as he continued channeling fel energy throughout Yang "He needs new material."

"What are you talking about?..."

"Wrath was lying to you. In a way."

"What do you mean?" Blake asked cautiously, crossing her arms over her chest, the glare that she was giving the back of Varimas' head never receding.

"...He's just as alive as the two of us." Varimas said, pausing for a moment as a smirk appeared behind the metal mask that hid his face from the world. "Though with a last name like Belladonna I doubt that'll be the case long if you two kiss."

 _"What?!"_ Blake nearly screamed, her eyes as wide as dinner plates.

" _Mhm._ Or haven't you noticed that he still draws breath?" Varimas asked with sarcasm dripping from his words. Honestly, the Warlock thought, it was surprising just how many people believed Wrath when he told them he was undead.

" _But_ -... But I saw the scar on his chest." Blake argued, shaking her head quickly, as if attempting to physically expel the information that she had just learned from her mind. "How could that not have killed him?"

"Yeah, the scar... Made by a rune blade named _Frostmourne_." Varimas stopped channeling power through Yang's body, his hands curling into a ball on the table as his head tilted towards the ground.

"...What happened?..."

Silence then fell for an uncomfortable amount of time. Obviously a chord had been struck. Just as Blake was about to ask again Varimas spoke up, any hint of the joking and sarcastic elf gone.

"Do you _swear_ to stay silent on the matter?" Varimas said, his voice having long lost its jovial tone, replaced by one of a low and extremely serious nature. "Wrath doesn't like the subject even hinted at, much less discussed openly. Whatever I tell you stays in this room... _Understand?"_

"I swear, and I do..." Blake said, finally walking over to where the elf had been operating on her friend, sitting next to Yang's head. "...What happened to him?"

"Wrath used to be what's known as a paladin; a warrior of the Holy Light..." Varimas explained with a small sigh.

"When did he become a Death Knight then?" Blake was quick to ask. Though it was nearly a full minute before she finally received an answer from the Warlock who was seated near her.

"...It was during the third war... The Scourge had invaded our lands in an attempt to capture the Sunwell, a massive font of power." Varimas said as he brought his hands up against his metal covered face. "We thought that we were invincible behind our gates... But they were ready for us... Our people put up the best fight that we could, but in the end Arthas and the Scourge overwhelmed us, and _slaughtered_ over 90% of our race in cold blood."

Blake crossed her arms, remaining silent as Varimas continued his story. Wrath. Had never told her about this during their journey through the Plaguelands. Was there a reason perhaps?

"Wrath was one of the paladins who stood against the tidal wave of the damned during the massacre. He and several elven rangers were escorting a large group of refugees that were attempting to escape the area..." The Warlock paused for a moment, visibly shivering as he remembered hearing the news from that day. "But _Arthas himself_ found them as they made their escape attempt..."

Blake hummed softly, showing she was still paying attention, though she appeared concerned.

"Wrath was given an option..." Varimas held two fingers up, lowering them as he continued. "He would either surrender and join the Scourge willingly and the refugees would be spared from the terror of the damned, or the entirety of their group would be slaughtered in his name."

"And so he-..."

"Chose to save the refugees... He was captured and tortured endlessly by Arthas for the remainder of the siege of Quel'Thalas, and eventually brought to Northrend... When Arthas finally ended Wrath's torture, he thrust Frostmourne into Wrath's chest, not with the intent to kill, but to infuse him with the powers of a Death Knight." Varimas chuckled. Not a lighthearted laugh however. It was full of scorn; resentment. "As you can probably guess, it _worked."_

Blake visibly cringed whilst Varimas described the events in painstaking detail. She did not want to believe the story was true. But she knew. This was no fairy tale. This had happened.

"Over the next few years as Arthas, now the Lich King, prepared for his war against life on Azeroth, Wrath was taught to be an instrument of the Lich King's will, to cause suffering and sorrow wherever he went, to hate anything and anyone not allied with the Scourge... _But..."_ Varimas' voice trailed off as his shoulders slumped.

"But?"

"But they could never truly eliminate the paladin who sacrificed himself in order to save his people..." There was a hint of pride in the elf's words. If Blake could have seen through his mask, she would have seen a smile on his face. "They did their best... But in the end, when the Knights of the Ebon Blade were formed, he chose to join them. The Scourge was never able to fully break his will."

"I... I don't understand... If Wrath _left_ the Scourge, then why is he still a Death Knight?" Blake asked, still attempting to come to grips with all of the information she had just recieved. "Couldn't he just go back to training to become a paladin again?"

"Frostmourne's power cannot be removed from him, it's just a part of him now, including the powers and traits that he possesses." Varimas explained, a sliver of spirit finally returning to his voice. "But make no mistake, Wrath never died."

"Why would he tell me that he's undead then?"

"Because he's still guilty about what he did under the Lich King's control. He refuses to even use his real name." Varimas replied, shaking his head slowly as he did so. "I've told him that what he did was far from his fault, yet he refuses to use his birth name regardless, no matter what I say."

"Wait a minute... Do you know his real name?!" Blake asked, her voiced frantic. Did this man truly know Wrath's real name? The one thing that Wrath refused to ever tell a soul.

"Yes, though I'm sure he would prefer if it stays in the past. He feels it belongs there." Varimas said, tilting his head towards the dark haired girl who stood before him, a look of near desperation on her face.

"Why would it hurt to tell me?" Blake asked, her amber eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Because it-..." Varimas stopped, his voice fading as he began pondering the situation for a moment before sighing. "...I suppose it wouldn't really... _Very well_... His true name is-..."

Suddenly a loud slam echoed throughout the room, causing both Blake and Varimas to jump, startled at the sudden noise. Both elf and faunus turned their attention to the grand doorway, only to find Wrath and Carcharoth standing triumphantly in the doorway, a heap of rolled up cloth in Wrath's hands.

"I'm back! Finally found a lady selling bandages." Wrath said, throwing the bandages over to the Warlock, who caught the cloth, about ready to unravel the bandage when he finally noticed exactly what they were made of.

"Cheap?... _Wrath!_ These bandages are made of pure windwool, how in the world could you have gotten them cheaply?" Varimas stopped dead at that moment. "... _Please_ tell me you didn't..."

"Alright. I _won't_." Wrath laughed as he placed his hand on Carcharoth's snout, the felhunter making a guttural sound of contentment in response.

Varimas turned his gaze over to Blake, who had not taken her eyes off of Wrath since he had first walked into the room. "As you can see... His mannerisms also haven't exactly reverted to their previous state either."

"Were you two talking about me? I'm _flattered_." Wrath said as he glanced up from where he was standing only to notice Blake and Varimas staring at him, causing the elf to widen his eyes in confusion. " _Um..._ Everything alright?"

Blake walked over to Wrath, wrapping her arms around the Death Knight's neck without uttering a single word, which Wrath awkwardly returned with one arm, a confused look etched on his face.

Wrath quickly glanced over to Varimas, mouthing 'What happened?' to the Warlock, only to receive a small shrug from the other elf in response. Secretly though he smiled under his mask before turning back to the surgery.

Wrath glanced down before letting his other arm slowly snake around Blake, pressing the cat-eared girl affectionately against his plate covered chest. "Is everything alright Blake? Did something go wrong with the surgery?"

"No... Nothing went wrong... I just..." Blake tightened the hug. She had always thought Wrath had always been a bit to warm too be a corpse, even after Anduin had told her that he was one. Now she knew why. "I just thought you deserved a hug is all."

"Well um... Thanks I guess." Wrath glanced over to Varimas once more, confusion dancing in his eyes, only to find his friend had long since turned his attention back to Yang. "So how is she?"

"She'll recover. I was able to focus the energy into a small area near the base of her spine, so the energy is now a usable resource for her in a fight, though she won't be on her feet for a few days at the very least." Varimas explained as he finally removed the knife from Yang's back, wrapping the bandages around her lower torso.

"So an all around win then?" Wrath asked, raising an eyebrow, though his attention was still secretly more focused on the faunus in his arms.

"Not quite. The concentrated energy will leave a rather noticeable scar on the base of her spine." Varimas said, pointing to a point on her back where a small blotch of blood was beginning to form. "We could probably just put some sort of tattoo over that, but we'll need to wait for her to wake up to decide what she wants to do about it. Her hair tips will also be tinted green, but I assume that will be the least of her worries."

"Alright..." Wrath muttered, his voice quiet. "...Thank you... I know you don't exactly-..."

"It's like you said... These two have nothing to do with what happened in Dalaran, and certainly not with what happened during the third war with Garithos..." Varimas said, giving his friend an exaggerated shrug. "These two have done _nothing_ to deserve our scorn."

Wrath nodded, giving his friend a smile. Apparently something was finally getting through that thick skull of his.

"You two should go and make yourselves at home... As I said it will be a few days before your friend Yang here wakes up." Varimas pointed to a small doorway. "Wrath, your room is still as you left it. That should suffice for however long it takes Yang to recover correct?"

"Yes that's fine but-..."

Varimas tilted his head as he stared at the confusion expression that rested on his friends face.

"What about the guest rooms?" Wrath asked with befuddlement laced in each and every word he spoke, finally releasing Blake from his grip. "Where's Blake going to be staying?"

"Oh the guest quarters have all been occupied by visiting diplomats and well-to-do traders. I'm afraid not a single one remains." The Warlock said as he chuckled, clearly having fun with the situation.

"Where will Blake stay then?" Wrath asked, though his tone grew cautious as he seemed to finally realize was his friend was insinuating.

"Well your bedroom is big enough for 2." Varimas' voice was amused to no end. "I'm sure you both can figure _something_ out."

You could practically hear Wrath's palm impacting his forehead from Stormwind.

* * *

 **Boom! Yes, he's alive. I've actually been hinting at this since around chapter 2 or so. Hopefully I did the entire reveal justice. But more importantly I hope you all enjoyed! With this I do have one last announcement. I will be taking a 2 week break from writing, as it is the holidays and I want to spend time with my family. I'll still be putting out the Christmas special later this week, but other than that I'm putting my other stories on hold until after New Years! So if you don't end up reading the Christmas special then I hope you have a great holiday season and a happy New Years!**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	9. Chapter 9: Return to Remnant

**I think I have some sort of magical talent for finishing these things at like 3 in the morning for reasons that I can't honestly explain. So if some of you also follow the other main story I'm currently writing, I promise it will be the next thing updated! Also sorry for such a long wait on this chapter; turns out I ended up taking my break after New Years!... Oops..**

 **Raging Archon; I stewed over whether or not to actually make Wrath a second or third generation Death Knight, but in the end (aka like... chapter 3) I realized that Wrath being alive would serve everything much much better!**

 **ww1990ww; Yes, it is true that the elves were technically the ones who defected from the Alliance, however when it's being brought up it's brought up by two blood elves, so their view on the situation is bound to be just a little skewed in their favor. Also it is true that Jaune would require years of training if he were a normal person, but perhaps he's more attuned with the Light than even Tirion realizes. ;)**

* * *

 ** _Return to Remnant_**

* * *

It had been 3 months since Blake, Yang, and Wrath had set out for the high home of the elves in search of proper healing for Yang's wounds. 3 months since Yang had last seen her younger sister. Since Blake had last seen her remaining friends back at Beacon; what few still remained after the accidental reveal of her true species at any rate.

The agonizingly long journey back to Stormwind City had been a collection of misadventures and general screw ups by the small band of friends, Varimas now included, which were all kicked off by Yang's rather explosive awakening.

Needless to say, Yang had been less than thrilled when she had first been awakened, as the guard who had been assigned to guard her could attest to. Along with a good half of the residents of the Sunfury Spire. It turned out that having her hair tips dyed fel green was a bigger issue than Varimas had previously anticipated.

Thankfully she had calmed down when Blake showed her face, who calmly explained the situation while the rest of the Spire's residents, Wrath and Varimas included, hid behind makeshift barriers, watching the two converse. Carcharoth meanwhile just sat watching, not exactly interested in the situation playing out before him. He just wanted to chew on something really.

Yang had grown even happier when she learned that she now had a viable excuse to finally get herself a tattoo, something that her father had always been adamantly against. Now though she could easily stick the scar up as a big reason. After all, the only thing cooler than a badass scar was an even more badass tattoo right?

Her best news came not in the form of a potential tattoo or a host of terrified elves, but in the news of her new abilities. As a result of her injuries and the infusion that had taken place, Varimas had explained to her after being literally pushed from his hiding spot by Wrath, she now had control over a force named Felfire.

Even now, as the group made their way through the wide yet crowded of the human capital, Yang stared down at her hands, flexing her fingers as she let small sparks of flame dance atop her fingertips like candles. An ammo source that was just as, if not more powerful than her normal shells that also never ran out. She could definitely have some serious fun with these new powers.

Well as soon as her legs were working properly again that is. They were still rather weak. She could walk for a while, and had even begun to practice jogging and running once more. However while traveling Yang opted to ride upon the back of Carcharoth, who seemed surprisingly thrilled at his passenger, often bouncing around excitedly or dashing circles around the group to hold her interest during travel.

It had been rather lucky that Carcharoth was so fond of Yang. Having only two mounts that they could summon on a whim, Wrath and Blake had chosen to ride on Vengeance together, while Varimas had stubbornly refused to let anyone but himself on his precious Dreadstead, Felwind. So Yang rode Carcharoth, neither unhappy at such an arrangment.

The Stormwind guards had also been as wary of Carcharoth as the Silvermoon guards had been at first, but after reassurances from Wrath, had been allowed into the city along with it's master, with the understanding that neither would destroy property or harm civilians while in Stormwind. Something that Varimas agreed to only after a concise kick to the back of the leg from Wrath.

"You know... For the record, I would have agreed to the terms they'd set before me at the gate whether or not you had decided to _kick_ me!..." Varimas wheezed as he glared down at Wrath, clutching at his leg as his mount carried him through the streets of Stormwind, various citizens of the Alliance halting their daily activities to observe the group as they rode past.

"I felt it was appropriate given the circumstances." Wrath said as let his eyes dart up over at his friend while he strolled next to his mount, leading the deathcharger through the streets by it's reins, with Blake quietly riding atop the steed of the damned.

"What circumstances were present that you felt it appropriate to slam your boot into the back of my leg?!" Varimas hissed, his fists clenching in such a way he nearly folded the reins he held in his hands, causing Felwind to huff loudly in annoyance. "Because I would love to know what, in your twisted little head, could possibly constitute that!"

"You sure you want me to say it in public?" Wrath asked, throwing a careless glance over at his friend, which was only met with what the Death Knight assumed was a glare. His mask made it impossible to tell if the Warlock within was smiling or baring his teeth at any given moment.

However, the small guttural growl that he received was more than enough of a signal to Wrath that his friend was irritated. "I swear, if I could reach you from up here-..."

"Man you two really gotta go look into some professional marriage counseling sessions or something." Yang called from behind them with a snarky grin on her face, causing both elves to stop their respective mounts dead in their tracks before turning to face the brawler. "Because I just don't think regular counseling would do the trick for you two!"

Varimas was the first of the two to open his mouth however, jabbing his thumb in the Knight's general direction. "Wrath merely lacks the ability to grasp even the most fundamental concepts that revolve around traits such as decency and respect."

"I have an amazing perception of both..." Wrath muttered calmly, leaning his full against Vengeance as he spoke, though the horse did not so much as flinch. "Just not with y-..."

The Death Knight was silenced as he and Varmias both suddenly froze in place, both elves gazes directed at a small glowing pouch that hung from Varimas' belt. Both Wrath and Varimas continued to stare at the small cloth bag as Varimas opened the pouch, fishing out the offending object.

A large purple soul shard, though no bigger than the average Beacon students scroll, which glowed a faint fel green hue, now resting comfortably within the Warlock's grasp.

" _Varimas_..." Wrath whispered, never looking away from the crystal, as if it would disappear if he were to break his gaze from the gemstone. His face was wracked with worry. "Please tell me that's not what I think it is..."

"No, it can't be... I left that particular soulshard back in Silvermoon." Varimas replied, taking the soulshard and stuffing it back into it's original pouch, before shoving the pouch itself into one of his larger bags that hung off the side of his horse. "I'm pretty sure..."

"You'd _better_ be sure..." Wrath growled through clenched teeth, taking hold on Vengeance by it's reins once more as he began to lead the horse through the street once more, the other mounts following closely behind. "The last thing we need is for ' _him_ ' to show up."

"Him? Who're you guys talking about?" Yang asked as she and Carcharoth caught up to the others, easily walking side by side with the other mounts in the wide streets of the city.

"Revel in your ignorance in this situation Miss Xiao Long." Varimas warned, not bothering to even look over at the blonde, though his voice showed he was anything but dismissive with his warnings. "Your sanity is far too valuable."

" _Al_ -right then."

After a few long minutes of navigating their way through the streets of Stormwind, the group finally came to a halt when a large castle came into sight. Blake could identify it as Stormwind Keep easily enough, yet Yang's reaction was much different, if her mouth, which hung loosely, was any indication.

"Woah... Whoever built this sucker was definitely compensating for something..." Yang marveled, staring up at the vast towers of the great castle which seemed to almost glisten in the afternoon sun, it's stones glittering in the light.

"Well I suppose that's one way to say it." Wrath said, rolling his eyes. Coming from Quel'Thelas, human architecture never really impressed him to any significant degree. Dalaran had been a close contender, along with the castle that stood before him, but in the end Silvermoon still stood strongest in his mind. Of course there was also Beacon, a detail he opted to not leave silent. "Though your academy isn't exactly minuscule in size either."

"Yeah, but Beacon has a few hundred people living in it." Yang pointed out with a shrug, before turning her attention back to the castle, taking in every single detail of the massive structure.

"You really do enjoy bringing me places that I detest don't you Wrath?" Varimas spoke up after an awkward pause had dominated the group for a little longer than he would have liked, crossing his arms as he too stared at the castle, though not with nearly as much awe or respect as Yang.

"Haven't you been here before?" Wrath asked, glancing over to his flame wielding friend.

"Yes, I visited Stormwind while I was still a student of the Kirin Tor, but that was before the Third War." Varimas explained, the distaste In his voice was clear. His words were covered in venom. "Things are different now. I may not mind Prince Anduin, but that is for the sole reason that he very clearly has the interests of everyone on Azeroth, not just the Alliance, on his mind when he makes decisions. That does not mean I like being here."

"Regardless, Anduin is waiting for us, and while he is patient, I'm sure one of his guests won't be once they learn we're in the city." Wrath said with a small chuckle, before glancing back at Yang only to realize she was now looking at him, causing him to quickly look away once more, though not quick enough for the young woman to not notice the flicker of his eyes.

"One of his guests?" Yang asked, bringing her full attention to the elven knight, who merely gave a calm nod in response, knowing the outcome of his next statement before a single word passed from his lips.

"Your sister Ruby, along with two of your other friends are currently staying in Stormwind Castle, they-..."

"Ruby is still here?!" Yang asked suddenly, nearly falling off of Carcharoth in the process, only saved by the felhunter's quick reflexes.

"Of course. My hearthstone doesn't exactly come with a return flight home. We'll need to work with a few mages to-..." Wrath began, only to trail off as Yang dug her heels into Carcharoth's sides, signaling the beast to surge forwards towards the castle at a frantic speed. "...-Help us get back."

The others followed the brawler's lead soon after, racing towards the castle in hopes of catching Yang before she made some poor guard regret attempting to stop her from entering the castle grounds

They just were not quite fast enough.

* * *

"Listen... I understand that you haven't seen your sister in months, but was it really necessary to injure half a dozen of the best royal guardsmen in the castle to get inside?" Wrath asked Yang as the group made their assent up the massive hallway that led from the main entrance to the throne room, leaving a pile of groaning soldiers behind them.

"Personally I thought it was rather entertaining." Varimas muttered from the back of the small group, earning a glare from his childhood friend in response.

"Hey, they were in my way, and they weren't gonna let me through!" Yang replied, the fire in her voice still present despite the rest of the guards retreating to a safe distance after Wrath had given them the signal to let them pass. And because they were afraid of Yang.

"Alright, but still..." Wrath began with a small sigh, glancing at various artistic pieces that lined the hallway as they strode past. "Varimas did not give you those powers so you could blast your way through the halls of the castle in some sister seeking bloodlust."

Varimas merely snorted indignantly. "Your opinions on that are your own."

"Just what the hell do you mean by-..." Wrath began as he turned to face the other elf, only to trail off when the two girls they walked beside suddenly ceased their advance, both staring ahead of them.

"Wrath? Is that you?" A slightly feminine yet male voice called out, prompting Wrath's ears to perk up in recognition. "Blake! Yang! It is you guys!"

Wrath redirected his gaze back over his shoulder to see none other than Jaune strolling over towards them, his hand me down sword and shield in hand along with a thin film of sweat on his forehead, dripping down his face. He had been training.

His attire was much different as well. Gone was the plain chest plate that hung loosely against a sweatshirt. In it's place was grey and golden armor that, while still rather simplistic through it's lack of a helm or shoulderplates, bore the mark of a paladin in training.

"Dang lady killer, talk about a wardrobe upgrade." Yang commented as she drew closer to the other blonde, giving the new armor an experimental poke before turning her attention back to Jaune. "Where'd ya get that stuff?"

"It does look pretty sweet huh?" Jaune exclaimed proudly with a smile on his face as he flexed one of his arms, though Yang quickly swatted it down with the back of her hand.

"Don't dodge the question! Where's it _from_ dude?" She ordered with a grin, planting her hands on her hips, which she cocked to one side.

"Oh uh..." Jaune seemed clearly embarrassed at the attention that he was suddenly receiving from Yang, teasing or not. "I've just been training under someone here. Not a big deal, he and Pyrrha are both just helping me learn to become a better fighter is all."

"Jaune, what exactly is this persons name if you don't mind my asking?" Wrath finally spoke up, sensing that Jaune needed a way out from his current situation, though he was also genuinely curious. Jaune appeared to have advanced at quite a decent pace if his new armor gave any indication.

"Tirion Fordring, why?" Wrath let out a soft hum at Jaune's words, eliciting a look of confusion from the teenager. "What? Did I say something wrong?"

"No. I suppose I'm just surprised Tirion decided to take on any sort of student. Though I guess if your going to be trained, you might as well be trained by the best right?" Wrath laughed as he strolled over and placed his hand on Jaune's shoulder. In a way Wrath was proud of Jaune for his decision to become a warrior of the light. He would certainly make an excellent paladin.

"He's been really patient. He gets me." Jaune explained, a sigh of relief escaping him once he realized that he had not accidentally angered the Death Knight in some way, despite the serious tone he had possessed when asking about Jaune's teacher. "It's been a really good few months, that's for sure."

"Hey Jaune." Blake finally let her voice be heard, grabbing Jaune's attention away from Wrath and Yang, who also glanced back at Blake. "You haven't by chance seen Ruby around at all today have you?"

"Oh yeah, she and Prince Anduin are in the gardens now. As usual. I swear they're there every day." Jaune responded as he jabbed his thumb back in the direction he had just come from, while Wrath's eyes widened for a moment before returning to their neutral state. "Just head to the throne room and make a left and-..."

"No need for directions." Wrath interrupted the boy, holding up a hand, though the calm smile on his face showed he was far from offended. "I already know my way around this castle like the back of my hand, remember?"

"R-Right, sorry."

"Actually while you're hear, would you mind finding Pyrrha, before coming over to the gardens as well?" Wrath instructed, crossing his arms casually. "I think its about time we get you and the girls back to your own world."

"Wait what?" Jaune immediately became flustered as soon as Wrath said those words, opening his mouth in an attempt to respond several times before forcing himself to speak. "But... My _training_ -..."

"May still continue. I don't see any reason why you and the others can't be given your own Hearthstones." Wrath said, causing Jaune's face to light up. Wrath smiled at this. He would not get in the way of a paladins training. Especially not one who he considered a friend. "I'm sure I could talk a local innkeeper into selling me a few."

"You're talking about that stone you used to teleport us here in the first place right?" Jaune asked with hope in his heart. His training could continue unabated after all. "I've seen visitors using them but no ones ever mentioned what they are."

"Those are Hearthstones, yes." Wrath replied before finally glancing over to Yang, taking notice of her incessant fidgeting. "But we can continue that later. I better bring Yang to Ruby before she has an aneurysm."

"Okay, I'll go grab Pyrrha and meet you guys in the gardens in a few?" Jaune asked, his tone casual once more. He received a small silent nod from the blue eyed elf in front of him in response.

Jaune took this as his cue to leave and walked off, leaving the small group behind. Wrath motioned for the group to follow him only a moment later, leading them towards the castle gardens where Anduin and Ruby could presumably be found.

* * *

They arrived at the garden only a few minutes later. A small alcove of trees and flowers in the middle of a fortress of stone and glass, a small fragment of tranquility in the highest seat of the alliance.

Wrath knew Anduin could usually be found here when he was not studying politics or training to become more proficient with the light, but he was quite surprised to hear that Anduin had not only invited someone to come along with him on his time away from the world, but that it had apparently become quite a reoccurrence.

Eventually Blake spotted Anduin and Ruby sitting under one of the larger trees, speaking to each other in hushed tones. A feat only possible because of their extremely close proximity to each other. If either of them leaned the wrong way or sneezed they would end up lip locked.

Of course this little tidbit of information was completely lost on Yang, who upon spotting her younger sister, hopped off of of Carcharoth and stumbled over towards the prince and the reaper, who both snapped their eyes in her direction when she cried out. "Ruby!"

"Yang?! Yang is that you?!" Ruby did not need any sort of answer. She was on her feet in moments, speeding towards her still slightly limping sister as she held her arms open, waiting for the inevitable tackle hug to arrive.

And arrive it did sending both sisters to the ground with a loud thump and a shower of rose petals that fluttered to the ground silently, contrasting the squealing emanating from the two at the center of the petal shower.

"Ohh, I've missed you so much Rubes!" Yang cooed as she squeezed the younger huntress, before her eyes widened in realization as Ruby's injury crossed her mind, prompting the brawler to reach down to feel for her sister's leg, letting out a sigh when she felt it was still present. "How's your leg? Can you walk?"

"Yup! Good as new, see?" Ruby exclaimed before she pulled herself to her feet, hopping up and down on her previously injured leg before motioning over to Anduin, who had made his way over to Blake and Wrath. "Anduin's been healing it for the last few months. It's like it was never injured!"

"Well that was very charitable of him..." Wrath said with a smile before leaning over to Anduin and muttering into his ear, so softly that only Blake could make out the words being said. "Especially considering there are healers who would happily help their prince in treating a guest."

"Well I just... How will I improve as a healer if I don't heal anyone? Right?" Anduin tried with a nervous chuckle, though judging by Wrath's face, the Blood Elf was clearly far from buying the excuse.

"Mhmm." Wrath hummed, backing away a respectable distance before turning to Ruby. "At any rate, how has life been here for all of you? I know it must be quite a different lifestyle than what you're used to."

"Actually it's been nice. It was kinda weird at first, but I just got to talking to some people and it became... Much better." Ruby blushed as she stole a small sideways glance over in Anduin's direction, something Wrath easily noticed, though to remain silent on.

"I see..." Wrath glanced around those present before giving a small shrug. "Well now that thats out of the way, we can focus on getting all of you home."

"W-Wait home?!" Ruby asked, quickly growing panicked, as did the blonde young man that had made his way over to her though he was more or less able to keep his true emotions hidden behind the veil of a calm expression through years of diplomatic training that he had endured.

"Why are all of you saying that like I'm forcibly relieving you of your firstborns?"

"I... Well I mean do we have to go so soon?!... Don't you have some things you have to take care of in the city before you send us back?" Ruby asked in her still panicked tone, glancing around as if hoping to find some arbitrary reason to delay the knight. Eventually though, she merely turned back to Wrath. "Or can't you at least come along so that-..."

"Relax Ruby. I'm not _'sending'_ you anywhere, at least not without a way to get back." Wrath interrupted Ruby, worried the poor girl was about to pop a blood vessel. "And besides, you've all been away for over 3 months now. If I don't come with you to explain to your headmaster why you were all missing for so long, then that will just add a layer of complication for all of you that you most certainly don't need."

"Oh _crap_ I completely forgot about Ozpin!" Yang cried as her palm impacted her forehead with a loud smack that made Ruby flinch. Her sister had a harder head than her that was for sure.

"I don't think it's going to be Ozpin we'll have to worry about. I'd be more worried about Goodwitch if I were you." Blake pointed out, her calm tone contrasting the loud voices of her teammates.

"Goodwitch?" Varimas asked, finally pulling himself from his self induced silence since first arriving in the gardens.

"Long story." Blake sighed.

"Well hold on... If this 'Goodwitch' person is so threatening, maybe it would be best if a few of you remained behind." Varimas proposed, causing more than a few confused eyes to land upon him as he spoke.

"Why?" Ruby asked, tilting her head slightly to one side, causing a few stray strands of her black and red hair to fall in front of her face like a curtain, hiding one of her silver eyes from view.

"Well there's no doubt that the moment that you're all spotted with Wrath people will assume that you were forcibly taken from Vale by him." Varimas explained as he paced back and forth in front of the group with his arms crossed over his chest. "Which would no doubt lead to some less than savory results for everyone involved."

"You're right..." Wrath conceded. It would be extremely dangerous. He could escape easily enough, but what would they do to the three students once they returned? "Perhaps it would be best if only Blake and I traveled back, then at least if they attempt to lash out against me I can hold the location of all of you over them."

"Wait... So we're like _hostages_?" Ruby asked as her mind flashed through all of those old spy movies that she and her father had watched when she was a child. A massive smile appeared on her face a moment later. " _Cool_! Are you going to do some big villain routine when you get to Beacon?"

Wrath merely pinched the bridge of his nose in response, while Blake gave her teammate a calm smile. The imagination of the little red reaper was certainly something else at times.

Before Wrath could provide Ruby with any form of snark filled or otherwise sarcastic answer, footsteps began to emanate from the small entrance that connected the garden with the main section of the castle, causing the group to direct their attention over in it's direction. Only a few seconds passed before Jaune came into view, along with none other than Pyrrha, plus a few mages he had managed to gather.

"Blake! Yang!" Pyrrha called out the moment she saw her two friends, breaking out into a run, bounding over and capturing both Yang and Blake in a hug, the latter of which retuning it much more awkwardly than the former.

"Hey, what's up Invincible Girl?" Yang asked as the three untangled themselves while the others grouped around them, forming a small circle in the middle of the small garden.

"Oh not too much. It's been a quiet few months here." Pyrrha explained, her usual good natured smile adorning her face.

"Not been having fun?" The brawler asked with a sly grin that contrasted Pyrrha's smile much in the same way that the sun contrasted with the moon.

"On the contrary! Training with the soldiers here is so much different than the other students back at Beacon, and not in a bad way either!" Pyrrha laughed as she recalled the many days she had spent training with the soldiers and random adventurers who happened to just wanted to spar. Quite a few of them were nearly a match for her. Nearly.

"Ooh, been ' _training_ ' with all the soldiers _eh_?" Yang purred in a highly suggestive tone as she leaned towards the madly blushing hoplite, whispering into her ear, "Better watch out. Vomit-boy might get a little jealous."

" _No, no,_ nothing like that! The King of Stormwind and I train a few times a week." Pyrrha explained quickly, waving her hands in front of her face before she calmed herself once more. "I've learned quite a bit in terms of duel swordplay from him."

"Varian is quite efficient with Shalamayne. Much better than most swordsmen that I know." Wrath noted, bringing a hand under his chin. "Though I suppose he was named Lo'Gash for a reason. You don't earn a name like that without the skill to back it up."

"I'm sure my father is just happy that he's able to pass on his sword skills to someone who can fully appreciate them." Anduin laughed before turning to Pyrrha with a kindhearted smile. "Not to mention someone with quite a bit of talent in swordsmanship herself."

"One at a time Anduin." Wrath chuckled, causing the prince to stare at him in confusino before realization crossed his features and he began to chuckle along with the Death Knight.

"Well anyway, you two should probably get going. I'll go inform my father that you will all be staying a little longer." Anduin said as he gave the group a bow before backing away towards the entranceway to the gardens. "May the Light be with you."

Ruby was quickly after him, zipping out of the gardens using her semblance. "Wait up Anduin!"

"You know you're going to have to keep a leash on those two right?" Blake turned to Yang who merely gave an exaggerated roll of the eyes at the faunus' words, knowing them to be true.

"Blake, we should get going..." The ninja heard from behind her, prompting her to turn to the blue eyed blood elf, who was standing in front of a large portal that the mages had been creating while the group had been discussing their plan of action. "I'd rather get this issue settled sooner rather than later."

"You're right." Blake agreed as she made her way towards the portal and the Death Knight. "Besides, it's been a few months since that Sargerei attacked Vale, and I'm sure Alejandro is missing our repeat visits to his cafe by now, if only because he makes a fortune off of us."

"Yeah. That whole incident is probably long out of the public memory by now I would suspect." Wrath smirked as he and Blake stepped into the swirling vortex, which closed mere seconds after they entered, shimmering away into nothingness.

Wrath had no idea just how wrong truly he was.

* * *

 **Alright! Update will be out soon! Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading!**


	10. Chapter 10: The Price of Hatred

**Hey! Okay so just a few things before I start the chapter. First off, I'm going to be changing the story's rating up to M. There's just a bit too much violence in the story at this point to only warrant a T rating. It's not going to affect the story at all since I was planning on it to turn into an M rated story eventually since I did not want to hold back on the battles later, but it will no longer show up on the story listings on its own, you will now need to search for it. Sorry for the inconvenience but I would rather be safe than sorry!**

 **ww1990ww; Sorry, I suppose I should have said talented with the Light. Jaune will still be Jaune, and there are many Paladins that are leagues better than him. For now all he shows is potential. Sorry if I confused with my statement!**

 **Raging Archon; You shall all find out who 'him' is soon enough, but I warn you, once you know you can never forget! Also nice Spruce Willis reference!**

 **Novice4129; Sorry this took so long to get out! Goodwitch and Ironwood will show up eventually, but you'll just have to read on to see when they make their appearances!**

* * *

 **The Price of Hatred**

* * *

In one of a thousand small alleyways that littered the streets of Vale, just south of the massive towers of Beacon Academy that stood proud, two figures sped through the claustrophobic environment, their cloaks whipping erratically through the wind as they sprinted through the alley.

Eventually the both of them came to a sudden halt at the exit of one of the many alleyways, throwing off their hooded to reveal Wrath and Blake, both with distress written as clear on their face as a tattoo.

"How could this have possibly happened?..." Wrath whispered as he and Blake peered out of their concealed position at the open streets that lay bare before them, or more importantly the nearly ruined state that they were in, barely a vague representation of their former immaculate selves.

It would not be far fetched to claim that the main streets of Vale currently resembled war-zones. Hell, there was quite the possibility that they really were just that. Storefronts were destroyed, windows shattered into a million pieces with countless crates and sacks of merchandise, the livelihoods of the citizens of vale, burning inside.

Many vehicles had either had been broken into and vandalized beyond repair or tipped right over on their side or upside down. Some had just been flat out destroyed, another victim to the all consuming flames which had claimed so many other sections of the once proud and shining city of Vale.

What had jarred the blood elf and faunus the most however, were the large splatters of blood that covered the street with such regularity that the normally clean asphalt resembled a hellbent checkerboard laid by some malicious force. Blake had to wonder how much of that blood was of the innocent.

"It looks like there was some sort of battle." Wrath quietly observed, scanning the ruined streets of Vale, carefully searching for any sort of hidden dangers that could possibly pose a threat to either him or Blake.

"No, not a battle." Blake muttered, narrowing her eyes as she spoke, though the subtle action was well hidden by the black hood that covered the top half of her face in shadows. "This was an organized riot. And a very big one at that."

"How can you tell?" Wrath quickly asked, glancing around in an attempt to locate the source of Blake's suspicion, though after a few seconds of fruitless searching Wrath turned to the feline faunus, a confused expression written on his elven features.

"The destruction. It's way too methodical for any sort of spontaneous fight." Blake responded, though she never drew her gaze away from the scene before the two of them.

"How do you figure that?" He pressed. He was an observant person to be sure, but there were certainly times he was genuinely impressed by Blake's ability to pick up on details that most would certainly miss or pass off as unimportant.

"See the stores?" Blake asked. Upon recieving a curt nod from the elven Death Knight who stood next to her she continued, her voice still quiet, so as to not attract attention. "Look, some of them been have been looted. Most of the nonperishables are gone. Only the fresh food and items too heavy to carry by hand are still there..."

"Well I suppose that answers the what..." Wrath said as he stared at the storefronts. True to what the amber eyed young woman claimed, the stores had indeed been looted. The burning merchandise were just the leftovers that the scavengers did not want anyone else coming across. "Doesn't answer the 'why' though..."

"'Why' can wait. We need to get to Beacon before we're spotted by anyone who's decided to hang around." Blake replied, before slipping out of the alley, making her way down the street, making sure to duck under and behind cover whenever the opportunity presented itself to her.

"Right." The Death Knight was on Blake's tail in a matter of seconds, and while still quiet, was still considerably louder than his nimble faunus counterpart, thanks mostly to the armor he wore under his own thick black cloak.

* * *

Keeping out of the crosshairs of the remaining rioters was thankfully a rather simple task all things considered. Most were far too distracted with looting stores or getting in their share of property destruction to notice the pair sneaking past them.  
Of course there were the few of the more keen rioters that did end up noticing the two, however they were dispatched easily with a swift roundhouse kick to the head by Blake before they could call the attention of their comrades.

Eventually though it became clear to both elf and faunus, that even as they drew closer to the airships that would take them to Beacon Academy, the levels of destruction had not decreased by any significant degree. Apparently not even the thought of a small legion of hunters and huntresses in training firing upon them in defense of their academy was enough to quell the rioters.

That was an unsettling thought for both Wrath and Blake. Students though they may be, Beacon's students were nothing to laugh at, especially to the average Vale citizen. Most would not even be able to hold a candle to any of student of Beacon in terms of raw power or skill.

So just what was it that had caused Vale's citizens to riot?

Such thoughts were cut short for Blake however she she noticed a twitch of movement out of the corner of her eye. Thinking that it was merely another thug to deal with, Blake turned to face the direction of the movement, only to freeze in place when she realized what he was staring at.

"Hey... Wrath hold on..." Blake whispered, halting her companion with her outstretched arm. Though only after he very nearly ran into the appendage, saving himself by ducking at the last moment.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" Wrath asked as he rose back to his full height from his dodge, readjusting his hood, which had nearly fallen off when he ducked.

"Over there; look." Blake ordered, jabbing her finger in the direction of a small storefront, one of the few that as of yet had been spared from the flames, though not from looters, judging by its shattered windows.

That was not what had caught Blake's attention however. Just to the right of the entrance a small form sat propped up against the storefront, clutching at their stomach while their entire body shook, though be it from the cold or any pain they could possibly be in, Blake was unsure.

Upon closer inspection, both quickly realized that it was in fact a young girl, no older than 8, leaning against the ruined storefront. Her arm was held tightly against her stomach which was clearly bleeding, as evidenced by the dark red stain that surrounded the area around her shirt where her arm was held.

Somehow, through clear pain, the girl was also able to spot both warriors as they withdrew themselves from their hiding place and began pacing over to her fallen form.

At first both Wrath and Blake were quick in their strides towards the girl, though when they drew close enough to finally made out the finer details of her anatomy, they both noticed something that made them hesitate for a moment.

This girl did not have human ears, but instead those of a mouse or rat. Not only did the girl possess a rodents ears, but also a rodents tail, which lay on the ground limp. The only hunt it was even attached were the occasional twitches it gave off.

The girl was a faunus.

"Please... Help me..." The girl whimpered, almost pathetically, as she held out her shaky blood covered hand, revealing her grizzly stomach wound; much more serious than both Wrath and Blake had previously anticipated. The wound was less a cut and more of a tear, revealing muscle and organ to the outside world.

"Don't worry, we will..." Blake said as she kneeled down in order to assess the girls injures, glancing about the girls form to locate and possibly injuries that had gone unnoticed by her and Wrath, though thankfully there were none other than the stomach wound.

"What happened here?" Wrath asked the girl with crossed arms, though he did not kneel down like his counterpart. Crowding the girl would do her no good after all. Or at least, that was what he told himself as he stared at the girl's crumpled form.

"There was a really big riot... All the humans... They called us terrorists..." The girl wheezed out quietly. Blake immediately turned her eyes, which were full of shock, upon Wrath who wore his own look of surprise.; they had been right about the riots.

"Terrorists? Why?" Wrath asked, hoping to catch any relevant scraps of information he could from the rodent faunus girl.

"There was a big explosion 3 months ago-..." The girl let a loud cough, staining a splotch of the pavement crimson red before continuing, though with each word she said, her voice weakened more and more. "Riots have happened ever since-... The humans think we did it..."

"Explosion?... Wait..." Blake's breath caught in her throat when she realized just what the little girl was referencing, and judging by the discomfort present on Wrath's face, he had come to the exact same conclusion. "She must be talking about..."

"Yeah..."

Blake sighed before redirecting her attention back to the girl, attempting to force a smile onto her face, though such a task proved to be much easier said than done. "Where are your parents? They're probably worried about you."

"...They're gone... The ambulance took them away... I don't know where they-..." The girl gasped for air, her hand shooting to clutch at her open belly instinctively as her stomach muscles convulsed at the sudden intake of air. "...Went after that..."

"Why didn't you go to Beacon? They can help you..."

"The airships-... They stopped coming..." The young girl let out another loud hack, the blood from the cough coming to a rest on her cheek, unable to make the trip to the ground. Her lungs were losing what little strength they still possessed within them. "No one can get to the big towers now..."

Wrath finally let his ears droop, before kneeling down as well, though still a fair distance from the injured youth, and whispered into Blake's hidden ears, "Must be an attempt to protect students."

"That makes no sense though..." Blake replied, her own voice hushed. The girl would normally still hear them. Hopefully, Blake thought, the intense pain in her stomach would block her heightened sense of hearing. "We can take care of ourselves just fine, and Beacon has a policy. In the event of a citywide emergency, the school has the facilities to hold temporary refugees for weeks at a time."

"They must've taken all they could in that case. No use keeping the lifeline present if there's no more room." Wrath muttered, pinching his chin between his thumb and forefinger, closing his eyes in thought. "They must not have wanted to give anyone they had to leave behind any false hope."

"Mmm..." Blake agreed. She did not want to think Beacon could turn a blind eye to so many in need, but it made sense in a dark way. Knowing this, she turned back to the faunus girl. "You need to tell us who did this to you... Was it the humans you told us about?"

"It was-... It was big-... Human men-..." The child's speech pattern was becoming even more erratic as time went on. She was obviously having an issue keeping any large amount of air in her lungs. Not a good sign. "They said that it was my fault... They said-..."

"Shh... No more talking... It's going to be alright..." Blake whispered, pressing her hand against the child's face. She was not the best at comforting others, especially children, but she was the only one around with the slightest inkling on how to do so, so she would have to do.

Thankfully, the child apparently took comfort from the words of the ninja. With a soft nod, the girl let her eyes drift shut and her head slump, losing conciseness only a few moments later.

"She's losing blood too quickly..." Blake muttered as she pulled herself to her feet after wiping off any blood that had found it's way onto her hands on her black cloak, the red tint disappearing into the void. "If she doesn't get medical attention 'very' soon, then she's going to die."

"I have a small roll of Frostweave bandage with me, but I doubt it'll be enough to cover that size of a wound..." Wrath replied as he reached into a small pouch, sifting through the contents in order to confirm he did indeed possess said bandages, holding it out to Blake when he found the roll.

"Doesn't it have magical healing properties?" She asked, plucking the roll of thick blue cloth from the Death Knight's hand, turning the object around with a flick of her wrist, staring at it intently.

"What're you getting at?" Wrath asked, crossing his arms casually.

"Well... It was able to heal that wound Cardin gave me only a few seconds after you wrapped it around me." Blake explained, holding up the arm which had been injured by Cardin during their fight. "Couldn't you just hold the bandage there until that part of the wound heals and move it over to a new section?"

"I wish it were that easy. Most magically enhanced bandages, even Frostweave and Windwool, lose their healing properties the moment that come into contact with a wound..." Wrath replied with a sift sigh along with a shrug to accompany it. "They're just useless strips of shiny blue cloth after that."

"Damn.." Blake hissed, pinching at bridge of here nose as she racked her brain for any ideas that would come to her.

Thankfully, eventually one did. Turning back to the blood elf who was looking at the injured girl with sympathetic eyes, she began to vice her plans. "...Wrath... Are you able to Vengeance from Remnant?"

"Conceivably." Wrath confirmed, turning his gaze back upon the older of the two female faunus. "I was able to call her in Draenor so I don't see why summoning her here would be an issue. Why?"

"Beacon's infirmary would have the knowledge and supplies to tackle an injury like this." Blake explained, glancing over at the stomach wound present of the young girl. "But it would be too dangerous, and it would take too long, to carry her there ourselves."

"Vengeance would easily be faster but we would lose any semblance of subtly." Wrath began, though from his tone of voice, he was not as nearly as confident as he wanted to be about such a plan. Those hidden concerns were quickly voiced by the Death Knight. "Wouldn't we end up attracting too much attention from any rioters still lingering? That would just paint a massive targets on our backs."

"We'll have to take the chance." Blake said bluntly, knowing that mixing words would only delay them further. "She'll die of her wounds in only an hour or two otherwise."

It was quiet for nearly a full half minute until the silence was broken by Wrath's ethereal voice. "Alright I'll try to summon her, but what about actually getting to the campus? I thought that it was only accessible by air because of the lake that surrounded it."

"No, there's a small dock at the base of the cliffs that leads up to the academy, but we'll need to find or steal a boat to get across safely." Blake replied, closing her eyes in thought. "Swimming won't be an option with the girl in this condition."

"There's no need for that, I should be able to fr-..." Wrath's statement was cut off as Blake's eyes shot open and the ninja suddenly lunged for her companion, pushing him back towards the alley they had first revealed themselves from.

Once inside the alley, both Blake and Wrath made a hard impact against the wall, causing the latter to grunt loudly, though more out of surprise thanh any true pain.

"Blake?! Why'd you-..." Blake slapped her hand against Wrath's mouth, before directing her other outstretched arm in the direction of the young faunus girl, who still lay there still as stone.

"Listen..." Blake muttered before she fell silent, her ears twitching as they attempted to locate the sound that had made her act in such an erratic fashion. Just then she heard it. "...Footsteps..."

They both waited nearly a full minute before they peered out of their hiding place in the alleyway expecting to see the little girl sitting on the ground, clutching her stomach as usual. Instead though, the scene that came into view was much different.

The girl was no longer alone, but was surrounded by at least a dozen large men, each wielding some form of improvised weapon. Blake grit her teeth at the sight, there would be no way she and Wrath could fight of a dozen men of that size without using their powers, which would no doubt draw dozens more.

However it was not the size of the men or the weapons in their hands that sent a shiver down Blake's spin. No, instead it was the predatory glint in their eyes as they leered down with sickening grins at the limp form of the young faunus, unable to defend herself or even flee the gang due to her unconscious state.

Suddenly Blake felt herself being pulled back into the alleyway, her lithe form slamming against Wrath's armor plated chest. When she attempted to push herself away from the elf however, her body was suddenly ensnared by one of his arms, while his other hand found its way over the ninjas mouth.

And then she heard the screams. The primal screams of pain and terror. She heard the dull wet thud of a blunt object impacting flesh again and again, over and over, unceasing in their stomach turning rhythm.

Suddenly it fell quiet. Only the soft whimpers of the girl could be heard.

Such calm remained only a few seconds more, only to vanish at the sound flesh being torn, the visceral ripping of muscle and skin, along with the renewed shrieks from the small child as her torture continued.

After what felt like an eternity, the horrifying shrieking was eventually drowned out by the soft wet thudding of heavy blunt objects being slammed against the girls skull, which was no doubt cracked, possibly even shattered, thanks to the chorus of blows to her head.

Then, just like that, it all stopped. The thudding, the tearing of flesh, all of it fell into a void of silence. Then the footsteps began once more, and but a few seconds later, the gang of thugs strolled by the alleyway wearing triumphant smiles upon their faces. A few of them were holding bats covered in blood and one with a knife that was covered in so much blood that it dripped on the sidewalk almost constantly, leaving a crimson trail back to it's victim.

Once the gang was out of both sight and earshot, Wrath and Blake snuck out of their hiding place and back over to find a sight neither would soon forget. The girl was indeed alive, yet only the softest of moans passed her lips. Only a shred of life was left in her, that was for sure.

Her jaw was completely shattered, nearly every bone in her body was clearly broken, her left eye socket confined little more than a red mushy substance, her intestines had finally spilt out her stomach, and her ears had been cut off and thrown next to her, obviously some sick eulogy to the first rioter death. If only those humans had known just who had really murdered that first faunus.

Wrath drew his runeblade, the sword giving off a haunting hiss as it left its sheath, while Blake knelt down next to the girl, giving her a soft sympathetic smile.

"It's going to be alright... You'll be with your parents soon..." Blake whispered stroking the only uninjured part of the girls face gently, letting her fingers glide gently across the bruises that marred the faunus girl's cheek.

"Pro-... Mise?..." She asked, the pain from her shattered jaw restricting her from the ability to even form more than that single word.

"Just close your eyes... You'll be with them soon..." The girl obeyed, letting her one remaining eye drift shut for the final time in her life, the life that would be cut short all too soon.

And the very weapon that would be the end of her life was now being held above her exposed neck, held aloft as it glinted in the light of the evening sun.

"Endala finel endal elwy shan dater'dore..." ( **Breath your last breath with honor dear child**...) Wrath let his blade fall to the earth, ending the girl's suffering in but an instant. Her head landed on the ground with a soft thump. "Ande'd ashadbu orus anu anar'alah belore..." ( **And may you find peace in the Light of the sun**...)

Blake pulled herself to her feet a moment later, glancing over at the Death Knight, who merely stared back at her silently. Drawing close to him she asked, "Was that... Some sort of a traditional elven prayer?"

"No..." He muttered staring at his bloody blade and without even bothering to clean the blade shoved it roughly back into it's sheath. "It was just something that needed to be said..."

Blake nodded silently before slowly looking over at the corpse of the girl, her headless form laying limp on the sidewalk.

"...We never even learned her name..."

* * *

It was dark by the time Wrath and Blake finally found themselves in front of the great lake that cut off Beacon Academy from the rest of the city of Vale. After the mercy execution of the young faunus, the two had opted to take the longer route to the lake, giving them both a few extra minutes of tranquility before they would be forced to face whatever Beacon presented them with.

Of course that peace was nearly shattered the very moment that they had arrived at the massive lake. There was not a single boat in sight of the beach line. Not even a small lifeboat or dingy.

"Should've guessed all the boats would be gone..." Blake cursed silently as she continued to scan the shore for any signs of a watercraft she may have missed before letting out a soft sigh, resigning herself to their fate. "I guess we're going swimming."

"No, we aren't." Wrath said simply as Blake was drawing towards the wager, causing her to stop in her tracks and turn to the elf with a confused expression on her face.

"Wrath we need to get across some-..."

"We'll get across, we just aren't swimming." Wrath interrupted, pulling a Scourgestone from the same pouch he had used to store the roll of frost weave, which was now also stuffed safely back in it's original position.

"Then how? It's not exactly a puddle that you can just jump you know." The faunus countered, glancing out at the massive body of water that lay before the two of them, waiting for Wrath's explanation.

Her explanation came not in the form of words however. Sending a surge of runic power into the crystal, Wrath threw the Scourgestone to the ground, and a moment later a torrent of dark energy overtook the crystal, the black clouds taking the form of a deathcharger.

It took all of 2 seconds, and once the form of the horse was complete the clouds dissipated, revealing an armor clad Vengeance who whinnied and bucked her front legs up in front of her, sending stray tendrils of shadowy energy on the ground surrounding her, corrupting the sand where they landed.

"...I'm sorry, I still don't follow." Blake said in a deadpan tone, strolling swiftly over to the horse, stroking a section of her body that was not covered in it's blood red crimson armor.

"Hop on, I'll explain once you do." Wrath replied pulling himself up on the horse. With that he turned to the faunus assisting Blake onto the horse as well, placing her in front of him. Once he was sure she would not accidentally slip off the Death Knight took ahold of Vengeance's reins and kicked at her sides, sending galloping towards the water at a breakneck speed.

Blake's first instinct of course was to attempt to leap from the apparently suicidal steed, however just as she was about to jump off Wrath seized her by her waist, preventing her escape.

Just as Blake accepted her watery fate, Wrath's powers activated and just as the horse's hooves contacted the surface of the lake the water seemed to freeze solid in but an instant. Each impact of the hoof and another spot of the lake was frozen solid.

They were walking on water.

"I thought you were going to explain!" Blake yelled, slamming both of her elbows Wrath, causing the blood elf to let out a loud hack at the sudden double impact before chuckling softly once he had recovered from the blow.

"I did, just not with words." He said with a grin

Blake silently sighed; at least Wrath seemed to be back to his usual self rather quickly. That was good at least. She could just close her eyes and enjoy the ride.

* * *

The climb up the cliff face was a rather annoying one. The entrance up to the school from the docks had been barricaded, and since there was no real way they could break through the barricade without not only opening a way for looters and rioters crazy enough to swim to Beacon, but would also alert every huntsman and huntress in the school to their presence.

Such a thing would normally be no issue at all, but since Wrath could very well be under suspicion of kidnapping most of team RWBY and half of JNPR they decided that a stealthier approach was the better of the two options, at least until they cld talk to Ozpin and clear the situation up.

Of course that plan was up in smoke the second that they stepped onto the courtyard. They had been sneaking, taking any sort of cover they could find, yet that was still not enough to evade detection from the students of beacon.

They had surrounded the two, weapons drawn at the blood elf, who had drawn his own blade, ready to fight. However, before even a single shot could ring a white haired girl noisily pushed herself to the front of the crowd, coming into view of Blake and Wrath.

"Blake! Get away from him!" Weiss ordered, pointing the tip of Myrtenaster at Wrath, who tightened his grip on his runeblade. He obviously had no reservations on fighting Weiss.

Blake knew that if she did not intevene soon then Weiss would no doubt charge Wrath, and if that happened... Was there any guarantee Wrath would only fight to disable the huntress? She preferred to not find out. "Weiss! Hold on, it's not what you think!"

Before Weiss could respond to her friend, another person pushed their way to the front of the gathered crowd of huntsmen, a blonde monkey faunus. Sun.

"Blake! Oh god! You're alive!" Sun cried happily, before his expression darkened the moment his eyes landed on Wrath. It was not a look she had ever seen wear before. Every person present wore such a look. It was the look of someone who was staring at a monster. Or at least, what they perceived to be a monster.

"Sun?..."

Sun ignored his ex, glaring angrily at Wrath, readying his weapon as he grit his teeth. Wrath glanced back just in time to see the weapon being readied, and changed his stance to prepare for Sun's attack. "I'm gonna kill you, you pointy eared bastard!..."

"No Sun! This isn't right! You know it's not!" Blake held her hands up in a passive manner, stepping in front of Wrath, acting as a temporary shield for the Death Knight. She knew that Sun could at least be reasoned with. He acted irresponsible as anything, but he was not one to overlook the possibility of a peaceful resignation to a predicament.

Yes, Blake thought, they could get out of this situation peacefully...

...That is until she felt the stinging edge of Wrath's blood soaked runeblade press against her throat.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed!**


	11. Chapter 11: The Might of a Legion

**Okay! So I have a ton of college work I gotta get started on, so I'll be taking like a weeks break from writing, but before I go I thought that I would give you all a new chapter to hold ya over!**

 **Raging Archon: Yeah! A legion vanguard! How silly!... hahahaheheh...uhh... And I'm sure Wrath would've told her if he had time! I'm sure this wasn't just an excuse to grab onto Blake! Right?... Anyways I'm sure all your questions will be answered in this chapter!**

 **Vortivask Jaeger: If you thought last chapter had a cliffhanger ending... Well..**

 **The Man They Call A: Well I'm not actually allowed to post links in a fanfiction, but I am allowed to tell you that if you just go to google and type in Thalassian Thesaurus it'll be the first two links. It's not a complete list of the language and it takes a while to get the whole prefix and suffix thing down, but once you do it's worth it!**

 **Alright! So hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

The Might of a Legion

* * *

 _'On Draenor old rivals sought to bring Azeroth... To it's knees...'_ A greying mage thought as he turned and gazed out over his tower, a look of determination set in his still youthful eyes.

 _'And while the iron tide was quelled...'_ He trailed off for but a moment as his body was enveloped in a cloud of magical energies and began to twist and turn erratically until the cloud dissipated, revealing a small raven. _'They were but servants of a more ancient foe...'_

 _'That has not forgotten...'_ The raven leapt from its perch upon the tower, spreading it's wings as it flew into the darkness of the valley which the tower overlooked. _'Our defiance...'_

 _'The vengeance of the burning shadow... Has come...'_

* * *

"I'm not going to tell you again Wrath!" Weiss ordered, bringing Myrtenaster back into a fighting position, ready for battle. The revolving crystal chamber whirred into place, coating her sword in a light red hue that sputtered and sparked violently. "Let my friend Go!"

"Wrath... Eleshme'nel a aseos'du..." **(Wrath... What're you doing?...)** Blake asked the elf in his native language, not daring to tilt her head back in his direction on account of the blade so near her throat. She could not help but to notice how the blade, though quite close, was not actually pressed up against her throat.

"Baan... Diedat buad'o..." **(Please... Just trust me...)** Wrath replied in a hushed tone, as if worried that if his statement was spoken loudly enough, someone in the gathering crowd of weapon wielding students would somehow understand what the two of them we're saying.

"...O diedat'a Wrath..." **(...I trust you Wrath...)** Blake whispered, before closing her eyes. Whatever happened was now going to be a consequence of Wrath's actions, and she would go along with them, whatever those consequences may be.

Once he was sure that Blake understood that he meant her no harm Wrath glanced up at the group of students, all of whom were aiming weapons at he and the faunus, though judging by the looks on their faces, they would not dare make a move out of fear for Blake's life.

"So... I can safely assume I have the attention of you all?" The Death Knight questioned, quickly surveying the small mob gathered around him for any weak points just in case the situation deteriorated and he and Blake would be forced to make an escape.

"I guess you could say that 'buddy'." Sun spoke up, though he and Weiss appeared to be much less nervous than the other students who stood with him. His guns were aimed directly at Wrath, his fingers on the triggers.

"Good to know." Wrath replied, tilting his blade in the direction of the school's towers for a moment before returning it to just under Blake's chin. "Go and get your headmaster."

Sun turned his attention to a male human student wielding a pair of maces and tilted his head in the direction of the school, which the student took as a signal to run over to the school, most likely in search of Ozpin.

"Alright.. He'll be here soon." Sun assured the Knight, lowering his weapons slowly. If this blue eyed man wanted to speak with the headmaster, then the chances that he would claim Blake's life before his arrival would be slim at best. After all it was hard to bargain without a hostage. "...What else do you want?"

"Well a glass of water would be nice." Wrath calmly said, a cheeky grin appearing on his face.

"Water? Are you for real?! You're lucky we don't shoot you right now!" Weiss threatened loudly, baring her teeth to the Death Knight, while tightening her grip on her sword, ready to lunge at a moments notice.

"Get bent princess." Wrath spat back at the white haired young woman, causing a considerably dark pink tint to appear on Weiss' angry face as she struggled to remain dignified in front of the other students.

"Why you _little-..."_

"Don't provoke him Weiss!" Sun interrupted, sticking his arm out in front of the embarrassed heiress before she could make any sort of advance towards the Death Knight that could be taken as an act of aggression. "We don't know what he's capable of."

"Does it matter?!" Weiss demanded, whipping her head in Sun's direction, only to be met with a glare nearly as serious as her own. Something that caught her off-guard not because of it's intensity, but because it was coming from the normally Sun.

"Yes! Of course it does! Do you really think you could reach him before he slashes Blake's throat?!" Sun asked, which prompted Weiss to glance up in the direction of the Death Knight and feline faunus, watching as Wrath repositioned his blade more comfortably against Blake's throat.

"Drop the rapier Weiss..." Wrath quietly ordered, refusing to make eye contact with any of the students who surrounded he and Blake in a sea of angry glares. "Don't make a mistake you'll regret..."

Weiss at first thought to just charge the blood elf holding her friend hostage, but as she began to look for any discernible weaknesses in his grip her heart fell. There were none. Her prized possession hit the ground a moment later with a loud clatter that seemed to echo throughout the courtyard.

"We _trusted_ you..." Weiss whispered as she stared at her discarded rapier, silently wishing that she could have seen Wrath's true colors back at that arena all tho months ago or even during the Halloween dance when they had all first met. At least she knew what he was now though, and she was not afraid to voice her findings. "...You're nothing but a _monster_..."

It was silent for a few seconds before Wrath finally looked up at Weiss and let out a soft sigh.

"...I know." With that he turned to the other students surrounding them and repeated the order to all of them, though much louder than before. "All of you as well! Drop your weapons!"

Instead of obeying the elf's orders though, the students all glance at each other nervously, hoping one among them had been formulating some sort of plan. Unfortunately not a voice rung out from the crowd, and Weiss knew that one never would, especially at this rate.

"...Do what he says." She ordered the other students in a soft voice, causing the crowd of students to begin dropping their weapons to the ground.

" _Good..._ Now where's that headmaster of yours... I'm getting impatient." Wrath shifted his arm around loudly, letting his dark purple plate armor rub together, which caused the crowd to refocus on the sword still perched precariously against Blake's throat.

"Just hold on! He's coming!" Sun cried, throwing his hands up in a panic, petrified that Wrath would end up ripping out Blake's throat if his patience whittled down to nothing.

"Wait." Weiss spoke up suddenly, her arms held at her sides.

"Hmm?" Wrath tilted his head to the side as he stared at the heiress.

"What's up Weiss?" Sun asked, stealing his own glance towards the fencer, quickly turning his attention back to Wrath. He was not about to take any chances with this guy.

"Before this goes any further... Tell me..." Weiss began, wrapping her arms around her own shoulders, which were shaking softly as she attempted to keep the anger boiling inside of her contained. "Where are Ruby and Yang? Where are my friends?"

"And Pyrrha and Jaune!" Sun added, keeping his guns trained on Wrath, should the Death Knight decide to attack anyone besides Blake. Of course he wanted to fire at Wrath, but he knew that his chances of accidentally striking Blake were almost as high as scoring a successful shot against the dark knight.

"Oh, all of them?" Wrath asked before his voice dropped dangerously low at his next statement, along with the darkness that settled in his eyes. "They'll be fine... If your headmaster gets here soon at any rate."

"You can't come to expect miracles my friend." A voice rose, breaking the tense atmosphere. A small separation of the student mob soon appeared, and formed a path to a silver haired man, holding a large mug in his hand. "After all, if I'd run then I would've ended up spilling my coffee."

"Headmaster, quick! Help Blake!" Sun cried, pointing at his former girlfriend and the blood elf who held her seemingly against her will.

Ozpin glanced up towards the two in question, silent for a moment before small smile broke across his face. In the panic throughout the courtyard the students had failed to notice something rather "Help miss Belladonna with _what_ exactly?"

 _"What?!"_ Weiss cried, flabbergasted that the professor had done nothing to assist in the rescue of the faunus still being held by Wrath. "Aren't you seeing what's going on?!"

"Ah yes, this is a hostage situation isn't it?"

"You certainly don't seem to want to treat it as one!" She pressed, all while Ozpin let out a soft chuckle, pointing towards Blake and Wrath. Weiss' eyes followed the man's finger, landing upon the two. When no further comment was made however Ozpin spoke up.

"Well most hostage takers tend to hold their victim in a forceful grip, not in a hug of affection." True to Ozpin's words, when everyone glanced down they saw Wrath was not actually holding Blake by her shoulders, but hugging her from behind by the waist. The blade held up at her throat was not there to cut her neck, rather to block any incoming attacks.

Both Weiss and Sun nearly fainted right then and there.

"You may drop your blade and release miss Belladonna, you have my assurances that none of my students will fire upon you." Ozpin said as he swirled the coffee in his mug around, a small grin still present on his ever calm face.

At this Wrath glanced around at the gathered crowd, who were still all unarmed and silently released the grip on his runeblade, letting the sword fall to the ground with a clatter. His arm soon found it's way around Blake as well, bringing her into a full reverse hug.

"Hey buddy! He told you to let her go!" Sun, who had just barely regained his composure from the revelation completely missed by all but Ozpin, ordered with his fists clenched at his sides.

Wrath rolled his eyes at the demand of the monkey faunus. "Well aren't you just a-..."

"Wrath." Blake interrupted, not breaking her gaze from Sun, who stared back at the ninja in return with eyes filled with worry. "Let me go."

Wrath stared at Blake in confusion when he heard her order but nevertheless let his arms fall away from Blake's midriff. Weiss and Sun opened their own arms at the same time, ready to catch the faunus in order to bring her to safety should she decide to redcaps from Wrath.

To their surprise though, Blake does not move a muscle to get away from the elf. She only leaned against his chest, never breaking her gaze from the shocked Weiss and Sun.

"I think this proves what I think of Wrath..." Blake said with unwavering calmness as she reached back, took Wrath's arms in her hands and gently positioned them back around her waist, her own arms laid atop them. "He's not a threat to any of you. Least of all me."

 _"...Blake_..." Sun began, taking a few cautious steps towards the dark haired girl in question.

"I trust him." Blake interrupted the monkey faunus, to which Sun could only back away slowly, back to his original position next to Weiss. He did not want to admit it, but she was in that elf's arms willingly, and there was little he could do about that.

"Well. That's just about enough excitement for me for one day." Ozpin spoke up, before taking a small sip from his coffee mug. "Miss Belladonna, why don't you and your friend come to my office? We have much to discuss, and I would prefer to do it in convenient range of a refill."

Blake only gave a curt nod in response before she and Wrath strolled over to the professor, following him through the sea of students, with almost every single pair of eyes resting upon Wrath twisted into hate filled glares.

Suddenly Weiss' hand shot out and grabbed Blake's arm, nearly digging her nails into her friend's arm. "I'm coming with you."

 _"Hey_! If she goes then I go as well!" Sun demanded loudly, jabbing his thumb in his own bare chest.

"Very well." Ozpin replied, glancing back to the group for only a moment before turning back and continuing on his way to the school. "Come along then. It's rather chilly out here."

Everyone soon obeyed retrieving their respective weapons before following the eccentric headmaster back to the main building.

* * *

"And you can confirm the safety of the other students miss Belladonna?" Ozpin asked as he leaned forwards closer to Blake, who sat on the other side of his desk along with Wrath, Sun, and a rather annoyed looking Weiss who was cleaning off her sword, which she unfortunately had ended up dropping in mud during the situation that had taken place in the courtyard.

"Yes, I can. Ruby, Yang, Jaune, and Pyrrha are all in safe hands, and are not being held against their will." Blake explained, crossing one of her legs over the other while listing off the names of her friends. "They have the freedom to go wherever they choose and are not under any sort of restrictions, mental or physical."

"That doesn't explain why we haven't seen or heard from any of you in months." Sun said, voicing the exact concern that niggled in both Weiss and Ozpin's minds as well.

"I was forced to use my Hearthstone to escape from the area so we could get Yang medical attention..." Wrath explained, pulling out said stone from a small pouch before throwing it to the monkey faunus.

"Couldn't you have just come back after you fought with that goat demon or whatever it was?" Sun asked as he turned the strange stone around in his hand, experimentally giving the swirl pattern on it's surface a poke. "I might not be an official student but I know Beacon could've handled whatever injuries she had!"

"No, we couldn't have. The medical attention Yang required was far beyond your people would have been able to provide." Wrath said as Sun tossed the stone back, the elf's gauntlets giving off a small clang as he caught the Hearthstone.

"I seriously doubt that!" Weiss yelled suddenly, launching herself from her chair into a standing position, her face only a few inches from Wrath's.

"Really? So you know how to treat severe Fel burns?" Wrath asked, stepping forwards himself, which in turn caused Weiss to retreat backwards with every step he took. "Do you know how to properly contain demonic fire in such a way that it won't cripple or even kill the afflicted patient?"

"We would've figured it out _somehow_!" The heiress countered, planting herself back in her chair and crossing her arms over her chest like a petulant child.

"Really? You would've figured it out huh?" Wrath asked in a patronizing voice.

 _"Yes!"_

"And are you saying that you would've been willing to bet the _lives_ of two of your friends on that _hunch_?!" Wrath suddenly snapped at the heiress, who visibly flinched but otherwise gave no response. When no response came from the young woman Wrath crossed his arms and sigh. "I thought not."

Weiss bit her lip in an attempt to fight back tears that were forming on her eyelids, but otherwise was able remained composed.

"Besides..." Wrath said, his tone returning to it's usual volume once more. "Hearthstones are a one-way trip. We had to get mages to transport us back here without a Scourgestone, the necklace I gave Blake, already in Remnant."

"Well... Perhaps instead of arguing about the past we can look forward in this." Ozpin offered, pushing his glasses up his face. "I see the potential for an extremely prosperous relationship here... But for now... We must focus on the relief effort for a few more unfortunates."

"You refer to the riots?" Wrath received a small nod from Ozpin before continuing. "I noticed the groups of refugees we passed on our way up the tower. Exactly what occurred?"

"Well to put it simply... That incident a few months back that you and my students were involved in; more specifically the explosion that resulted in Yang's injury... It sparked a fire much larger than any physical explosion." Ozpin seemed to grow more concerned as his explanation drew on. "It was chaos for the first few hours after the attack. No one was sure who the culprits were at first... But then..."

Wrath quickly noticed everyone but he and Blake had suddenly grown somber.

"A few human extremists eventually pinned the blame on the white fang. The chaos that had been an unorganized mess before had now centered it's sights on the white fang..." Ozpin finished, the stress in his voice as evident as ever.

Sun spoke up. "And the rest of the faunus race as a whole with them."

"From the destruction we witnessed I can assume that nothing could be done to silence those rumors?" Wrath asked, glancing out of the window towards Vale, various columns of smoke still rising from many of the buildings, presumably ones that had been owned by the faunus or anyone who sympathized with them.

"No. Unfortunately not. Humans were soon gathering in large groups, beating, raping, and killing any faunus they could lay their hands on." Ozpin explained, following Wrath's gaze, only for his expression to darken at the sight of the destroyed Vale. "We sent in multiple teams in a desperate attempt to restore order, but we refocused our efforts to evacuation rather quickly when we realized the situation was far from salavagable."

"So what's your plan?" Blake asked, "You do have one, right?"

"I wish I could say that I do..." Ozpin signed, idly stirring the remaining coffee in his mug with his bare finger. "At this time however I feel it best to just let the riots burn themselves out. Sending in any large gathering of law enforcement or huntsmen while tempers are still flared would only be seen by the rioters as an act of aggression, which would only incite more destruction... I'm afraid this is little more than a waiting game."

"But it's been over three months professor!" Blake exclaimed. How had the riots not been contained after so long? Were they really that bad? And more importantly, could the tension between the humans and the faunus possibly be repaired after this?

"...I know... Believe me miss Belladonna if I could somehow flip a switch that would rectify our current predicament I most certainly would in a heartbeat... But right now the refugees are our highest priority."

Sun spoke up once Ozpin fell silent. "I don't like it either, but if we can at least help the people who we were able to save from the craziness then that's good enough for me."

"And the ones you weren't able to save?" Blake asked, turning to Sun as the image of the young girl's decapitated corpse from before flashed in her mind. "What about _them_ Sun?"

Sun fell quiet at that.

Weiss was not so quick to back down, though she still refused to meet the gaze of anyone else, should someone notice her puffy eyes. "What's important is that we were able to save some... At least it shows the faunus that not all of Vale is against them."

"Does is even matter now? Any faunus still alive is here in the kingdom is here at Beacon... That warlock got what they wanted.. Whatever it was..." Sun muttered with a small shrug, glancing down at the floor.

 _"Wait..."_

Sun tore his gaze from the floor and glanced over to Wrath with curiosity dominating his expression. "Wha? What is it arrow ears?"

"...I know this strategy..."

"What do you mean 'strategy'?" Ozpin asked, intrigued to hear whatever revelation that the Death Knight had thought up in his extended silence, though judging by the look on Wrath's face, Ozpin was not so sure he would be so eager to possess the information after hearing it.

"The riots... The civil unrest... I think it's all beginning to make sense now..." Wrath said as he listed off each issue on his fingers.

Ozpin sutbly raised an eyebrow at that. _"Oh?"_

"What's been going on recently... It's all a sort of sapping strategy..." Wrath clarified, glancing over to his side when he noticed a flash of white as Weiss pulled herself back to her feet.

" _Sapping_ strategy?" She asked once she was up, crossing her arms across her chest and tilting her head.

"Yes. Destabilize the population through use of either infighting or some form of third party..." The elf explained, subconsciously shivering at his own words and the memories associated with them. "A crippling maneuver if it's executed correctly... Maximize destruction with little to no casualties on the executors end..."

"So wait, you think the riots were some form of distraction for someone?" Sun asked, leaning against the wall of the office, while his faunus tail wrapping itself around his own leg.

"No. This whole situation wasn't meant to distract you, that could've been done much more easily with a much more direct approach..." Wrath muttered, bringing a hand under his chin in thought. "This was meant to divide and weaken the people of Vale, perhaps even all of Remnant..."

Weiss turned to face Ozpin, still sitting behind his desk with his chin hidden in his hands. "Do you think Cinder is somehow behind this?..."

"No, no this isn't Cinder's doing. It couldn't be." Ozpin said, his voice growing quiet at the next few words that left his mouth as a dark memory came rushing back to him. "Not after what happened..."

"Then... _Who_?..." Weiss asked, completely stumped.

"...The execution was nearly perfect... But... The only ones I know who've ever successfully preformed such a strategy were the-..." Wrath's entire body suddenly grew ridged while his eyes widened the size of saucers as he seemed to finally realize just who was behind it all. "...No..."

"Wrath?... What's wrong?..." Blake asked, reaching over to touch the elf's shoulder, only for her breath to hitch in here throat when she realized that he was shaking like a leaf.

"That Warlock's crystal... It was no bomb... It was never meant to be!" Wrath cried, his head snapping in the direction of one if the windows surrounding the office. What he saw made his heart sink, " _It was a beacon_!"

"Wrath what's going-..." Blake was cut off as Wrath suddenly took ahold of her and roughly tackled her to the ground, using his body to shield her own.

 _"EVERYBODY GET DOWN!"_

The last thing that Blake saw before her world was enveloped in darkness was a massive green flaming meteor headed straight for the main tower of Beacon Academy.

Straight for them.

* * *

"I know I'm making the right move. I know that she isn't from our world, but she could be... _You know_..." Anduin pleaded with his father as the elder of the two sat slumped against the high throne.

As he sat there his son could not help but notice how the years had recently caught up with him. Sure, he was still young in appearance, especially considering his age. Still though, he was soon going to be past his prime, something Anduin was not sure his father would be able to take all too gracefully.

"Anduin... Are you sure this is wise?... I understand your feelings for this 'Rose' girl are significant... But are you sure about this?" Varian asked. Upon seeing the disheartened look on Anduin's face he spoke up once more. "Don't misunderstand me Anduin... I stand by whatever you do, but I want to make sure that you are serious about your choice..."

"I've never been more sure about anything father..." Anduin whispered, sneaking a glance over at the open doorway to his right, where a small shred of a red hooded cape could be see poking out from the other side. "Please..."

Varian cracked a smile at his son.

"You're just like your mother Anduin..." Anduin gave his own soft smile at his father's comment. Varian nodded after a few long seconds of silent consideration. "Very well... I give you both my blessing. You should go and let her know."

Just before Anduin could even think to turn away from the king however, both occupants froze as a raven silently flew into the room, landing on the immaculate marble floor with little more than a tap.

Varian lost his smile in only a moment as he glanced up, causing Anduin to turn to look at the raven and lose his smile as well. Behind the single open door in the torn room, the small red cloaked form also stuck their head out further in curiosity.

Both father and son watched with baited breath as the raven was suddenly enveloped in a cloud of magical energy, transforms into an old Mage who smacked the end of his staff on the ground loudly, the noise echoing hauntingly throughout the room, like the bells of a funeral.

"The Burning Legion..." The old Mage muttered as Varian rose from his throne, determination written on both he and Anduin's faces as they prepared for the two words that would no doubt change their lives, and the lives of all of Azeroth and beyond to be spoken. "Has returned..."

* * *

 **Whee! Time for destruction and demons! For those wondering, yes the beginning and end scenes of this chapter were meant to be a tie-in to the WoW: Legion feature overview trailer! So if you want to see what those scenes would've looked like animated, good news! (Maybe you'll see that very flash of red in the video, who knows.) Alright! Thanks for reading!**


	12. Chapter 12: Symphony of Sorrow

**Hey people! Not too much to say this time! Just letting you know that I'm still actively adding one-shots to the collection I have based in this AU, so if you don't want to wait for the next update but still feel like reading about how the residents of Azeroth are injured in various ways by team RWBY look no further than there! Okay, advertising over.**

 **Raging Archon: Haha! Yeah! Just _one_ Infernal, now how much fun would that really be? Let's have a few more then that. Also while I agree that a Fel Reaver would be awesome, we want to give them a little bit of hope before shredding it down, am I right?**

 **TehUnoman: Medivh might make an appearance! You never know! I wouldn't count _anyone_ out of appearing in this war!**

 **Novice4129: Your question about the Grimm will actually be answered in this chapter! Also I'm sure Yang will be fine with her sister getting married before her!.. Right? Also congratulations on being the person who's pretty much officially named the Ruby x Anduin ship, because I was certainly too lazy to!**

 **Sakebi Enkou: It'll get better in this chapter, don't you worry!**

 **Vortivask Jeager: Here you go! One update hot off the press... Grill... Computer!**

 **Jack Redhawke: Well said.**

 **Hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

 _Symphony of Sorrow_

* * *

Blake's head was absolutely pounding. With each and every breath she took her head was assaulted by a renewed surge of skull-splitting pain. Shell shock surged through her skull and through her body as she clenched her teeth in an attempt to bear the pain.

She could a mixture of battle cries and screams of sorrow and pain in the distance, mixed in with the nearly unceasing sound of gunfire and explosions ripping through the evening air. The school was under attack.

The last thing she could remember Wrath had suddenly becomes panicked, then he had tackled her to the ground. Then when she looked over at the window she spotted a large green ball of fire headed for the main tower of Beacon. But after that? Nothing.

"Blake?..." Wrath's voice called out through the pain in her head. Blake forced herself to open her eyes, coming face to face with Wrath's face, half covered by his hood. He was covered in dust with small bits of vegetation sticking out of folds in his dark purple armor. "Blake are you alright?..."

"Yeah, yeah I'm okay... Heads killing me though..." Blake quietly muttered as Wrath gently placed his gauntlet covered hand on her forehead, sending a small surge of icy runic energy through his fingertips and into Blake's head, eliminating her headache in a matter of moments.

When her headache was gone she finally let herself glance around at her surroundings. Her eyes widened in shock when she realized she and Wrath were right outside of her dorm building. "What happened? How'd we get down here?"

"An Infernal took down the tower. Must've ended up knocking us clear the across campus." Wrath explained as he pointed towards the central tower of Beacon, or rather where it used to stand. Half of the tower had been completely obliterated, leaving what remained a ruined husk with Felfire still burning brightly on its surface.

"What about you?" Blake asked quietly, slowly turning back to face the elven Death Knight, who bore a rather confused expression on his face at his companions sudden question.

"What about me?" He asked, offering Blake his hand, which she accepted. He quickly pulled her upright, making sure she was steady on her feet before making an attempt to back away from the faunus.

Before he could though he felt a hand grab his wrist, and when he looked down he found Blake had seized him, preventing him from backing away from her any further. "Are you okay?..."

"Mhmm..." Wrath answered, turning his head to the side in an attempt to hide the heat that rushed to his face beneath his hood. Wanting to quickly change the topic Wrath spat out the first words that came to him. "I'll be better once we know what happened to the others though. Knowing how far we were knocked away from the tower it's safe to say that looking for them around there would be pointless."

"Right. I'll try calling Weiss." Blake replied as she released Wrath in order to dig out her scroll. She immediately navigated through her contacts and made an attempt to contact her white haired teammate, only to have a pit in her stomach form when her scroll would not even bring her to Weiss' voicemail. "Nothing... Not even a voicemail."

 _"Fantastic."_ Wrath sighed, crossing his arms. Sure, Sun and he naturally just did not get along, but he had nothing against Weiss really. It was just how pompous and even petty she could act in tenuous situations. Wrath was sure this time would be no different, but he knew he would not be able to forgive himself if he abandoned them both to the demons. "Suppose we should go look for them."

"Hey wait, before we get out of here, can we stop by my dorm?" Blake asked as Wrath was turning to leave their landing site, causing the elf to halt before turning back to face his companion.

"Sure, what's up?" Blake silently cursed at his question. She was praying he would assume that whatever she needed would be trivial at best and neglect to inquire on it further. No such luck unfortunately.

"I just... Need a few things..." She answered as cryptically as she possibly could. It was not that she did not trust Wrath; that could not have been further from the truth. She just did not want to reveal the name of the object of her desire out in the middle of the school grounds. "Let's just say it has to do with the White Fang."

"Alright. We'll need to be quick though..." Wrath replied, taking a cautious glance around at his surroundings, his body visibly tense as he scanned the area.

"Why? Do you think the demons know where we are?" Blake asked, perking an ear up to listen to see if the fighting had drawn closer to the two of them. However the gunfire and the desperate screams of students and teachers had drawn no closer.

"No. If they knew where we were then they'd already be on us. I'd just rather not attract their attention." Wrath explained,

"Well... If we stick low to the floor we should be able to get up the stairs and to my dorm without any issues." Blake proposed as she and Wrath began strolling towards the building's entrance, which was thankfully clear of any activity. "Once we're there I can just cover the window with a bed sheet or something. That should at least buy us a few minutes."

"Sounds like a plan." Wrath agreed, though the tension in his voice was still prevalent. After taking one last look around in an attempt to find any obvious threats Wrath sighed and drew his runeblade. "Keep your weapons drawn, just in case."

"Right." Blake replied, drawing Gambol Shroud as quietly as she could before pushing the building's main entrance doorway open, the rusty metal hinges groaning in the response to the push. "Let's go."

"Wait. Blake..." Wrath muttered, laying his hand on Blake's shoulder, halting her progress just past the doorway. Turning to face the Death Knight she tilted her head slightly.

"Hmm? What is it?" She asked as Wrath shuffled into the building, turning to seal the door with a concentrated blast of runic ice. When that was done he turned back to Blake, removing his hood, letting his unruly black ponytail fall down onto his back.

"I just wanted to say... I'm sorry..." Wrath sighed, leaning against the recently frozen door, crossing his arms across his chest as he stared at the ninja while his ears drooped slightly.

"For what? What'd you do?" Blake asked

"For holding you hostage like that." Blake wanted to roll her eyes when she heard those words come from the Death Knight's mouth. So that was what his strange behavior was all about.

"Wrath, it's-..."

Wrath held out a hand, silencing the faunus mid-sentence before speaking up himself, though his voice held a considerable edge to it. "I just panicked and thought then I recalled what Ruby said about hostages back at Stormwind and one thing led to another and-..."

 _"Hey!..."_ Blake nearly yelled, grabbing Wrath's shoulders with both hands, forcing the blood elf to face her. When he did he found himself staring directly at the pair of amber eyes he had come to know so well. "It's alright. I'm not mad. I know you did what you had to do."

"If I had another way I would have-..." Wrath trailed off as he realized his piece had been said. She had accepted his apology. He wanted to say something else. Something to further express his guilt. But those words never came to him. Instead, the two merely stared at each other for what seemed like eternity before they shared a silent hug, the sounds of battle the farthest thing on their minds at that one moment.

* * *

"And you're positive that this is the Legion's doing Archmage?" Varian asked as he settled back into his throne. Archmage Khadgar had spent the last few minutes explaining to the king the gravity of the situation that they would soon be facing, and Varian could barely stand still throughout the entire explanation.

"I'm afraid so. I saw the felfire spewing from the temple with my own eyes." Khadgar replied casting his eyes down at the marble floors of the castle. He had seen it all with his own eyes. The massive armies of demons that poured from the portal completely unchecked. Beasts of hell of every size and shape were amassing on that island, and their numbers would soon be great enough to launch an attack on the mainlands of Azeroth.

"Well in that case I suppose we should discuss the best course of action before the Legion is able to make a preemptive strike against our world." Varian proposed, bringing a hand to his temple in an effort to quell the headache that threatened to make itself known to the king. "I can have the bulk of the Alliance navy mobilized within the month."

"Father, perhaps it would be best if we alert the Warchief of the Horde of this development." Anduin suggested cautiously. He knew of his father's issues with the Horde, treaty or not. Sure, the negations with Vol'Jin had gone extremely well, but that did not mean that the two factions were allies quite yet.

The fears of the crown prince were soon realized when his father gave a small tired sigh that accompanied a shake of his head. "I'm... Not sure that letting the Horde know is wise."

"Why not?"

"You know how bloodthirsty they can be during times of conflict Anduin-..."

"Father! The Horde is not the enemy here!" Anduin interrupted with a yell. Both Varian and Khadgar froze at the prince's sudden outburst. Usually Anduin was a quiet well spoken person, to see him yelling was extremely unlike the prince, though both the king and archmage chalked it up to nerves getting the better of him. After all, it is not day you receive news of a massive demon army coming to invade your lands.

"I realize this Anduin, however the Horde is at Best an unknown factor in all of this. They haven't exactly been the most trustworthy of allies in the past." Varian explained, beginning to rub his temples. The headache was beginning to break through.

"Have they _not_?" Anduin asked, crossing his arms definitely in front of him while Varian gave the young man a stern glare.

"No Anduin, they haven-..."

"And what about the Horde commander who defyed the orders of his Warchief and saved my _life_?" Anduin interrupted, his words carrying just as much authority as those of the man who he spoke to. "Not only that, but risked high treason in the eyes of his faction and possible _arrow fire_ from ours in order to carry my broken body into the middle of an Alliance controlled fortress!"

"...Wrath is... _Different_..." Varian sighed. He should have known Wrath would have something to do with why Anduin was defending the Horde so vehemently, albeit indirectly.

Sure, Anduin had always championed the idea of peace between the two factions to a certain extent, but ever since Wrath saved his life he had become convinced that the Horde and Alliance could eventually reach peace.

"Father... I understand how you feel... Believe me, I've experienced what Garrosh could do _firsthand_..." Anduin reasoned, placing himself between the throne and the Archmage, who tilted up his eyebrow in interest at the prince's behavior. "But he no longer controls the Horde! He was killed during the campaign on Draenor by Thrall. If we close ourselves off and further alienate a potential ally because of what happened in the past what makes us any better than the-..."

 _"Anduin! Enough!"_ Varian suddenly yelled, starting both the prince and Archmage while also silencing the latter, who took a few steps away from the throne with surprise on his face for a few moments. Soon though that surprise shifted to a stern expression.

"...Very well... I'll take my leave..." Anduin muttered as he gave his father an exaggerated bow before turning on his heel and stalking down the hall towards the garden where his friends still waited, silently wondering just how many recently built bridges with the various races of the Horde would crumble under the weight of this secrets revelation when it inevitably came to light.

Back by the throne, the Archmage stared at Varian, his eyes seemingly judging the king's every action. Varian glanced up to meet the eyes of the wizard. Neither one's glare was broken when Khadgar finally spoke.

"I would implore you to reconsider your stance on the situation King Varian... For if you do not alert the Horde and it's people of the impending struggle..." Khadgar paused for a moment, making sure that Varian was listening before he finished his statement. "Then _I shall_..."

With that Khadgar mimicked Anduin's actions and walked out of the throne room towards the gardens, most likely to wait for Varian's decision on the matter at hand.

Varian of course glared openly at the retreating mage's back. However as he glared, he finally noticed a small shred of red cloth protruding from the edge of an open doorway. Bringing his hand up to his mouth he coughed loudly, causing Ruby to accidentally hop out of her hiding place in surprise.

"Um, hi! Hi mister Varian!" Ruby said as she shuffled over and gave Varian assumed to be a bow. It looked more like some failed attempt at some form of strange martial arts to the king, but he dismissed it as the young reaper not having much experience in dealing with royalty, Azerothian or otherwise.

"...I'm sorry that you had to see that." Varian sighed, placing his face in one hand while giving a dismissive wave with the other, signaling Ruby to stand upright, which she did the moment she was given the signal. "That was not my one of my proudest moments."

"...I think you should trust Anduin." Ruby said after a few moments of silence between the king and reaper, though her voice possessed no edge. These words made Varian glance over at the girl who stood near the throne. It was surprising, having someone speak to him so casually.

"Why is that?" Varian asked. He was curious now. Did this girl have a point to what she was saying, or was she merely trying to defend Anduin? Varian decided he wanted to find out.

"I don't know much about the Horde. Really much of anything at all. But it sounds like they aren't big fans of these _'Legion'_ guys either." Now those words were truly surprising. So blunt in their delivery, so far from the usual proposals or political arguments the king heard, even from his own son at times, yet the truth rung in the girl's words all the same.

"No, they aren't." The king admitted, realizing that honesty would be best in dealing with this red hooded girl.

"So why not work with them?"

"...I hope you don't think I'm trying to be heartless, but I need to consider the needs of my people first. I have to think about the lives of all those under the Alliance banner, including it's civilians, before I even think about helping those outside of it." Varian explained, leaning against his throne as he spoke. "Not to mention it's hard to trust them... As I told my son, they haven't exactly been the most stalwart of allies..."

"Maybe not. But wouldn't it be better to fight with them instead of against them? If you all band together wouldn't you stand a better chance?" Ruby asked, her usual lack of tact shining through once more.

"You put a lot of faith in the unknown little one." Varian pointed out, though the glare in his eyes had long vanished. Ruby was obviously not one who needed his stern and imposing nature thrust in her face.

"Well isn't that what faith is all about? Trusting that things will work out, even if you don't know for sure that they will?" The huntress asked, giving the king a smile that practically beamed innocence. Part of Varian envied the little reaper. She was free of burdens of war placed on Azeroth over it's history. Though with the Legion's arrival he had to wonder how long that innocence could possibly last.

"Perhaps." Varian agreed, taking a moment to contemplate Ruby's words before turning back to the girl in question, who stood staring at the king, the smile never absent from her features. "You should go find Anduin. No doubt he needs the company right now."

"Alrighty! See you later!" Ruby replied with a small salute before she ran off, or more accurately flew off, in a small whirlwind of rose petals in direction that both the prince and Archmage had retreated after their confrontation with the king.

The gardens.

Varian gave a small but sad smile as he watched the red and black haired reaper fly out of the room before sighing. He knew what he had to do. Ruby was right. "I suppose I should contact the Kirin Tor... _And_ the Horde..."

With that the king turned to a royal guard standing by the nearby wall at attention with his arms at his sides, seemingly a mere statue if not for the gentle rise and fall of his armor-clad shoulders. "Gather the war council guardsman! We have quite a bit of work to do."

"Yes, your majesty!" The guard responded loudly with a salute that was both practiced and pristine. He was off a moment later.

* * *

It had been an hour since the beginning of the attack.

It had stared with meteor-like monstrosities that slammed into different areas of the building before rising from the craters to attack whoever was in their path. Soon after a host of different hellish creatures began dropping from the skies, set upon the destruction of any not of their ranks.

And then the Grimm came. Though something was different about them. No longer were they the usual Beowolf or Ursa that the students of Beacon were so accustomed to dealing with. No, these creatures were twisted and monstrous, even for the Grimm.

One resembled what the fairy tails of the past refered to as a gargoyle. It's normally black skin had been taited a sickly purple and green hue, perfectly complimenting it's eyes, now as green as the fel energy it shot out at fleeing or fighting students from the air.

The second was a creature that could only be described as a horrifying variation of some form of spider Grimm. Like it's flying counterpart, these Grimm possessed green and purple skin that seemed to glow in the moonlight. These Grimm were much more straightforward in their attack pattern. They seemed to deliver some form of bite that would rend a student paralyzed before wrapping them in a cacoon, still concious. Still screaming.

It was only one or two of these strange Grimm at first, their presence lost in the chaos of the attack. Then their numbers increased rapidly. Soon it seemed as if Beacon was suffering an attack on two fronts. The first from the mysterious demonic force that seemed to have no end, and the second by these mutated Grimm.

Students, human and faunus alike, ducked as an explosion ripped through the courtyard of the school, sending shards of shrapnel in every single direction. Some found their mark, ripping into the flesh of the huntsmen and huntresses unlucky enough to not find sturdy enough cover nearly without resistance, killing more than one in an instant.

A scream rang out across the yard as bear Faunus was torn clean in half by the edge of a Fel Lord's axe, sending his insides spilling across the grass. His upper half flew further however, landing with a wet thump in front of a small barricade made up of dirt and partially destroyed furniture. From behind that barrier, three students fired upon the waves of demons with their various weapons.

"Please no... _No!_ They got Tanner!" The first, a human girl with pink hair and a rifle, stated in horror as she gazed at the half a corpse that was her dear friend only moments before. "What the hell _are_ these things?! What'd they do to the Grimm?!"

"I don't know! Just keep shooting Razz!" A faunus with light brown hair and lynx ears replied as he hurriedly reloaded his own gun before returning to the seemingly pointless task of firing upon the army that drew ever closer, all around them. "Don't let up! We can't let these guys reach team CRML!"

"No! No I can't take this anymore Dusty! I'm getting the hell out of here!" A well built male human with silver hair suddenly cried out. With a sob he threw his duel revolvers to the ground before he scrambled out of cover, making it shakily to his feet before he began to quickly shamble away from the fight. He was unable to run thanks to a large gash in his leg.

 _"No! Steel wait!"_ Dusty cried as he reached out towards his teammates back.

Steel had barely been able to make it any more than a dozen feet before he was suddenly set upon by a combination of the strange Grimm and a pack of Felhunters. They quickly began to tear the teenager apart scrap by scrap with their fangs as he shrieked helplessly in pain. "Stop, please! _I don't wanna die!_ Please no! N-..."

His screams were silenced for the last time as his jaw was torn off at the hinges by a gargoyle, who swallowed the lower section of his face before diving in to rip into the rest.

Dusty fell to his knees at the sight, throwing up his dinner with loud retches as his last surviving teammate, Razz, watched in horror. He had nearly covered his hands and knees in the putrid slime before a loud thunk suddenly rang out, causing Razz to glance up, only to gasp at what she saw. Dusty had been impaled in the back by an arrow.

He began to vomit with renewed vigor in response but it soon became tinted a dark crimson by his blood. After a few moments of this he fell over dead, vomit still running from the side of his mouth in a small trickle.

Razz started to shake like a leaf as she realized something that nearly made her gag reflex go off as well. She was the last one. Her team was laying dead before her. With terror in her eyes, the young teenager nervously poked her head over the makeshift barricade, only to see a group of monstrosities coming for her, weapons at the ready.

"Stay-... Stay the hell away! Get away from me!" She screamed as she frantically pulled out a large bottle of fire dust from her bag. Glaring at the nearest demon with psychotic eyes she screeched one final time. _"STAY AWAY!"_

She threw the bottle to the ground.

Before she could even shut her eyes, a massive explosion ripped through the air, destroying everything in it's path, including any traces of the team who had given their lives in a futile effort to hold the demon's back.

* * *

"Oh God... That was team DSRT's position!" A red headed faunus girl with dog ears and wielding nun-chucks yelled, choking back a sob as she watched the fireball rip through the courtyard. Her friends had been defending that section of the school, and had no doubt been caught in the blast.

"We can't worry about them right now Cherry!" A male human with short brown hair swinging around a large dadao blade replied in an authoritative tone, cleaving through the body of a felguard as he spoke. "Where are Marigold and Roy?!"

"I-... I think they're already dead! I don't see them anywhere!" The girl, Cherry, replied in a panicked tone as she scanned their surroundings for a second time, hoping that she had just missed her teammates in the confusion and chaos. But no. They were gone. No doubt under a pile of demonic corpses slowly piling up.

"Dammit! Alright we need to get outta here-..." The male was cut off as he was slammed in the chest by a large green fireball, courtesy of an imp that was shot down off it's perch of other dead demons a few moments later by a random student also desperately fighting for their life.

"NO!" Cherry shrieked as she dropped her weapons, sprinting over and falling to her knees next to male, resting his head on her lap, which was covered in soot and dust. Tears began to form in her eyes when she realized the extent of the damage. If he did not get medical attention soon there would be no chance of recovery. "Lazure!... Please say something! Please!"

"Che... Rry?..." The male, Lazure, whispered as his eyes barely cracked open, taking in the sight of his girlfriend one last time.

"Yes! Yes it's me! Stay with me honey!..." Cherry replied with a hopeful smile flashing across her features, bringing the teenagers head against her heart, the beat of the organ quickly lulling him to shut his eyes.

" _Run_ Cherry..."

"We're gonna get you help, then we'll go... We'll go and buy that apartment in Mistral you were talking about... Doesn't that sound good?..." She asked with a chuckle. They were not here. They were already in that house. That was it. This was all a bad dream.

Just a bad dream...

"...Please... Leave me... _Just run_..." Lazure whispered as the light of his life began to flicker out. Cherry would not listen though, and began to jostle the man, hoping against hope that he would rise.

" _No way!_ Not without y-..." Her pleas went unfinished as a large demonic spear suddenly impaled her from the back of her neck through her mouth, sending a large glob of blood with mixed in brain matter down onto Lazure's face. He never reacted. He was already stone dead.

The felguard who was wielding the spear gave a small grunt if satisfaction before stepping over, crushing Lazure's skull under his boot with a wet crunch. Just as it began to move on however, the demon noticed that Cherry's split head was still gripping the spear, hooking her to the spear like a fish.

Glaring at the dead girl in annoyance, the demon lifted his spear and seemed to examine his most recent kill closely before he violently swung the spear down, slamming Cherry's corpse against the ground. It grinned as it began removing it's spear with the sound of spitting muscle and bone as what was left of Cherry's skull was cracked open like an oyster, it's contents spilling out onto the grass below.

The demon then retrieved what was left Cherry's headless and mangled corpse and stared at it for a moment before flinging it against the nearby dorm building, dark laughing echoing through the courtyard as it impacted the stone with a splatter.

* * *

Blake and Wrath both jumped when a heavy object suddenly thumped loudly against the bedroom wall. They immediately drew their weapons, waiting in a tense silence as they waited for a demon to crash through the door or window. If there was one, it luckily never came.

"Must've just been some shrapnel." Wrath muttered as he sheathed his runeblade, watching as Blake did the same with Gambol Shroud before she tossed it onto thr bed and turned to resume stuffing a large backpack with various articles of clothing. "Find everything?"

"Almost. I'm just gathering a change of clothes for Ruby and Yang." Blake replied, never bothering to glance up from her work.

" _Clothes?_ Is that really our top priority at the moment?" Wrath asked as he stared wide-eyed at his friend, honestly a little surprised at Blake's seemingly foolish choice of supplies. "Wouldn't that space be much better served with carrying extra ammunition?"

Blake shook her head as she folded one of Ruby's extra capes, stuffing it into the backpack before she paused to turn to the Death Knight standby near her. "Dust loses all it's power the moment that it leaves Remnant. All the ammo we own is powered by different dusts."

"Well... That's an issue. Is there any way to keep it activate at all? Even for a short period of time?" Wrath asked, biting his lip. If what Blake was telling him was true, then that would mean that every citizen of Remnant, from the lowest beggar to the most skilled of huntsmen, would be completely disarmed if they escaped to Azeroth.

"If there was then someone would've figured it out by now." Blake replied sullenly, knowing exactly what Wrath was implying. "If I brought any to Azeroth it would just be dead weight."

"Well at least load Gambol Shroud... If we plan to find your friends in all of this we'll need every advantage we can get." Wrath explained, retrieving the weapon in question from the bed. He had always been secretly fond of the blade and found it to be a much more wieldable weapon compared to his own. The duel wielding style felt much more natural. Perhaps it was just because it was Blake's personal weapon.

"Alright, I'll take a couple magazines." Blake agreed, watching as Wrath unsheathed the blade and idly twirled it around in his grip. "Turn around, I want to get changed before we leave to search for Weiss."

Wrath spun around on his heel at the faunus' words and leaned against the bedroom wall with a small sigh. When she was sure that Wrath would not turn around Blake began to change, never breaking her line of sight with the elf's back.

"...So, any thoughts on how we're going to fix this mess?" Blake asked as she peeled off her outer vest, throwing it carelessly over to Weiss' bunk before doing the same with her shirt.

"I've been coming up with something." Wrath replied as he sheathed Blake's weapon, laying it on the bed next to the discarded articles of clothing carefully, making sure to not accidentally turn around. "It'll be pretty tricky to successfully pull off, but if it ends up working then there's a good chance we could end up saving Vale... Or what's _left_ of it at least..."

"What's your plan?" Blake asked as she quickly pulled her shorts down to her ankles, stepping out of them and kicking them away before pulling new ones on almost just as quickly. She still remembered what happened the last time she was getting undressed and Wrath stumbled into the room.

He probably still had the scars.

"Well I've noticed that the Legion's main attack force came from the air. What if we could somehow erect a shield surrounding Vale?" Wrath finally proposed after a few moments, making an arch above his head with his hands, obviously attempting to sign some form of shield.

"Like a force field?" Blake asked as she clutched the fresh shirt she held, her tone conveying her obvious doubts as to the plans success rate. "Wrath, Vale isn't exactly small. Sure, we have the ability to make shields, but I don't think anyone on Remnant has a dust powered shield that would be large enough to cover all of Vale."

"I know, but if I could convince the mages of the Kirin Tor that Vale and it's citizens are valuable enough to be protected then perhaps they could create a shield with their magic." Wrath explained, crossing his arms as he spoke. "It's a longshot, but if it works then its possible that Vale could be saved."

"I suppose it's worth a shot... Better than the alternative, that's for sure..." Blake slipped on her new shirt, before retrieving a fresh vest of the same type she had worn before, pulling it on in only a moment. She then replaced her stockings in silence before she hopped back onto her feet. "You can turn around now."

"Well I suppose what we have is going to have to do for a plan." Wrath muttered as he casually twirled back around to face Blake, who was standing with her arms hanging lazily at her sides, staring back at the Death Knight. "What about Weiss?"

"We have to try to find her before we leave." Blake replied as she strapped on the magnet that held Gambol Shroud to her back. She then retrieved the weapon in question from the bed, attaching the blade to her back with a satisfying clinging sound that echoed throughout the room.

"Very well..." Wrath stopped cold for a moment, silence dominating the room for a few seconds before he spoke up again, though his voice was noticeably more sullen than before. "Blake?..."

"What?"

"I just want to let you know... You should be prepared for the worst." Wrath explained, watching as Blake's ears folded against her head. "The Legion has never been the biggest fan of taking prisoners... When we go looking for Weiss well... Just be prepared for whatever we might find."

"...I know."

"Alright. Load your weapon and shoot to kill whatever demons we come across, no warning shots. Don't give them any mercy." Wrath explained, drawing his own sword, checking the length of the blade for any issues as he spoke. "They won't hesitate to do treat us the same exact way."

Before Blake made for the door however, she shuffled over to her own bunk before pulling a strange drawer out, pulling a strange mask with a design of a Grimm's face from the hidden compartment. Slowly Blake brought the mask up to her face, but froze just before it touched her skin. Could she truly put this back on? Knowing what she had done while wearing it?

"Hmm? What's that thing?" Wrath asked when he had spotted the mask, breaking Blake from her self induced trance with a small jump of surprise.

"My mask, back from when I was in the the White Fang." She explained as she attached the mask to her face for a moment, turning to face Wrath. The elf did not need to be a psychic to see that Blake was clearly uncomfortable wearing that mask, though she was doing her best to hide it. "I just... It's what I came for in the first place."

"I'll ask why later." Wrath said as he reached over to grasp the mask attached to his friends face. She did not pull away or attempt to remove Wrath's hands from her face. After a moment of fumbling the mask fell from her face and into Wrath's grip. He examined the object closely for a moment before he stuck it back towards Blake. "For now lets just get out there and find your friends."

"Right." Blake agreed, taking the mask from Wrath's grasp, letting her fingers brush against his own, covered as always in armor, though that did nothing to hamper the blush that crossed her cheeks.

Neither wishing to say more, both elf and faunus turned and made their way for the door, and whatever lay beyond it.

Just as Wrath grasped the doorknob, he suddenly froze before jumping back away from the door. A moment later the door burst open, revealing Weiss who was completely covered in scratches and burns with tears in her eyes. Sun stood behind her, clutching at his arm with a pained expression on his face.

" _Weiss! Sun_! Are you two o-..." Blake was cut off as Weiss shoved roughly past her and sprinted to the bathroom. Just as she was able to each the toilet the heiress fell to her knees and began to empty her stomach into the bowl loudly. With each heave the others in the room winced. It sounded like she was throwing up an organ or two with whatever else was in her stomach.

Blake was the first to respond, pinching her nose before walking over. Kneeling down behind Weiss, she began to rub her back soothingly, hoping that Weiss' stomach would be empty soon enough.

While Weiss continued to further acquaint herself with the inside of her dorm toilet bowl, Wrath turned to Sun, who was as pale as a sheet, no doubt from whatever he had witnessed outside of the dorm room. "What the hell happened?"

"Weiss suggested that we hide in her dorm room until we could reload and reequip... But _Uh..._ We came across the bodies of some Beacon students on our way over..." Sun paused for a moment as he held his own stomach. Wrath wisely backed away a step or two, not wanting to be covered in vomit. Thankfully Sun recovered. "Those things... They tore them apart... There were just limbs and guts _fuckin' everywhere_..."

"Is anyone still alive out there?" Wrath asked as he let a dark tendril of magic fly out of his hand, which whipped past Sun and gripped the door, shutting it quietly so as to not alert any demons as to their location. Of course Weiss' violent vomiting was not exactly quiet, but every little bit of extra precautions helped.

"There's a big group of students and professors holding their ground in the sparring hall, but I think that's about it." Sun explained after thinking for a only moment. Suddenly a sullen expression crossed his face while he glanced down at the floor. "The refugees didn't stand a chance... They were overrun before anyone could get to them..."

"None of them were able to get away then?" Wrath asked, clamping his eyes shut. So much destruction. Gruesome slaughter of innocents. This was exactly like that day... That day in Quel'Thalas...

"I saw a few groups jump off the edge to the lake, but I have no idea if they actually survived the fall." Sun replied, completely missing the emotional turmoil that Wrath was suffering.

"Probably not." Blake's voice echoed from the bathroom over the sounds of Weiss' continued vomiting session, which had not slowed down at all. "We're a few hundred feet from the lake below us. Falling from that distance will be like hitting solid concrete..."

"If they don't die from the fall itself then they'll die from drowning." Wrath added, opening his eyes. He had to remain composed. This was not that day in Quel'Thalas. He could still make a difference here. But only if he put the memories of the past in the back of his mind. He could deal with those thoughts later.

"Why?" Sun asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he leaned against the closed door casually. He did not like being forced to stay in this room while demons and Grimm searched outside for them. They were they prey, and the demons were hunters. "Can't they just swim if they survive the fall?"

"You think you could swim to the other end of a lake of that size with all your arms and legs shattered?" Wrath asked, watching as realization crossed across Sun's face. He hated that look. Not because it was Sun. In fact, the monkey faunus was being rather civil with him, all things considered. No, it was because it was the same look he had seen a million times in Icecrown. It was the look of hope vanishing from a persons heart.

Sun sighed. "I guess not..."

"Alright... Unfortunately we can't worry about those who're already dead." Wrath said. He knew mourning those already gone was less than pointless. It would only slow them down and risk further deaths. "How long do you think the students in the hall could possibly hold out before they're overrun?"

"Probably a few days at most..." Sun explained, bringing his hand up to his chin in thought. There were a few teams in the sparring hall, most of which were more than skilled enough to fight off the throngs of demons. "Maybe a week if they don't run out of food, ammo, and dust."

"Good. That should be more than enough time to get reinforcements from Azeroth." Wrath theorized. Even if the Kirin Tor refused to provide Vale and Beacon any sort of large scale assistance, he knew that he could at least count on Varian and the military garrison in Stormwind to help, and in the worst case scenario there were also the Knights of the Ebon Blade. "We just have to hope that your faith in the abilities of those students and teachers isn't misplaced."

"Its not but... I'm worried." Sun admitted. "Those demon guys had Grimm with them..."

"Grimm?" Blake, who had gotten back to her feet and was now standing in the doorway, asked as she crossed her arms. Hearing such a thing was surprising. The Grimm only ever worked with other Grimm. Why in the world were the Grimm not attacking the demons as well?

"Yeah, 'cept they didn't look... Normal..." Sun replied, waving his hand around as he attempted to describe the strange new Grimm he had witnessed attacking the students of Beacon. "Parts of their skin were green and purple and were bleeding this weird green blood."

"Fel-Corruption... They must've somehow fed the Grimm demon blood..." The Death Knight explained as he pinched the bridge of his nose. This was just what they needed! Perfect even! An army of Grimm empowered by the blood of demons. Part of him just wanted to cry.

"Is that bad?" Sun asked, causing Wrath to look up at the other male with a sarcastic glare.

"Very." He responded, before glancing over to see Weiss had finally stopped throwing up and was sobbing, leaning against the pristine white bathroom wall. Her entire body was shaking like a leaf fluttering helplessly in the middle of a storm. "How's she doing Blake?"

"She'll be fine. She just had to get that out of her system." The faunus replied as she attempted to help her friend up onto her feet. Unfortunately Weiss was not as steady on her feet as Blake had predicted, and so the moment that she let go of Weiss' arm the heiress tumbling down to the ground.

"Does she need a bandage?" Wrath asked, seemingly unconcerned that Weiss had fallen down to the floor, though in truth his mind was just attempting to wrap itself around all that had happened that day.

"Probably not, none of our injuries are bad enough for that... And besides... The blood isn't hers." Sun explained, visibly flinching when he mentioned that the blood had not originated from Weiss. Wrath glanced over at Sun when he heard this. "It was some first year's who thought he could be the hero by distracting a demon so we could sneak by... Didn't even get a shot off before..."

Weiss could only let out a quiet sob as she sat there with her entire body convulsing, the image of the students head being blown clean off of his shoulders still fresh in her mind. He did not have to die. He could have rub. But he stayed, and died so that she and Sun could escape. It was just not fair.

Blake quietly rubbed her back as Weiss cried, doing what she could to calm her teammate.

"Well, we should probably get going soon. No doubt demons are sniffing out our location at this point." Wrath explained as he pulled out his hearthstone from the small pouch attached to his belt before redirecting his gaze to the monkey faunus who stood next to him. "Sun, can you just carry her on your back? It'll be a short trip, but I don't need anyone landing on their head."

"Yeah, sure thing..." Sun replied before he shuffled over and bent down, waiting in a squat as Blake helped Weiss onto Sun's back. He then slowly straightened himself up, taking care to not accidentally drop the poor girl. "Don't go gettin' any vomit on me, 'kay princess?"

Weiss could only cry quietly in response.

Blake, now free of having to care for Weiss, walked back over to the bed she had been packing her backpack on. Throwing a few more articles of clothing, along with her mask which was hidden between the folds of one of her shirts, she nodded in satisfaction before zipping her backpack shut. She then went to pick up the bag, but noticed something that made her freeze for just a moment.

Was her backpack... _Wriggling?..._

"Alright, everyone grab onto me." Wrath spoke up shattering Blake's focus on the wriggling backpack, which she scooped up and walked over, dismissing the movement as a hallucination due to stress. Everyone soon grabbed onto the Death Knight as he held up his Hearthstone and began to focus energy into the stone.

They were gone in a flash of soft green light but a moment later.

* * *

"So it's just been glowing like this all day?" Ruby asked as she idly pawed at a small pink-purple shard of glassy stone in her hand that Varimas had handed her only moments before. All around her the rest of the group also stared down in curiosity at the shard, all fascinated at the strange rock. All except for Anduin and Khadgar of course, who had both seen such a stone in the possession of multiple Alliance and Horde adventurers. A soulshard they believed.

"Yes, and I'm worried about what it could possibly mean." Varimas muttered as he hugged his arms around himself, giving a small shiver as he recalled the horror of the past few times that particular crystal had been glowing. He knew he would not want to frighten anyone though, and so decided to stay silent for now. "But... But don't worry about it! I'm sure it's nothing."

"Oh. Okay!" Ruby replied with a smile before tilting her head in confusion. Out of the corner of her eye Ruby noticed a small group of well armored individuals walking by the entrance to the gardens. Among them were a woman in a purple hood toting around a staff, a worgen in golden armor with two large blue and golden sword strapped to his back, and a tall purple skinned elf wielding a pair of silver cutlasses. They were certainly an intimidating bunch, that was for sure.

Before she could make any sort of comment to the others however, a guard suddenly ran into the garden. "My Prince! Lady Rose! You and your companions have been summoned to the High Throne immediately!"

"What's going on soldier?" Anduin asked as he and the rest of the group began to move towards the guard, who remained silent for only a moment before he spoke once more.

"The planet Remnant has been invaded by the Burning Legion! Lord Duskblade and Miss Belladonna have returned from the planet with two survivors! It's a slaughter! We are to prepare for the defense of the planet immediately!" Everyone, Khadgar included, pale at this news. The Legion was not only bold enough to attack Azeroth directly, but was attacking Remnant as well.

They all knew what this meant deep down. Nowhere was safe now. If they wanted to survive they would have to fight.

They would have to win.

* * *

 **Alright! Update will be out it's on it's usual timeframe (I hope you know what that timeframe is, because I certainly don't)!** **Thanks for reading!**


	13. Chapter 13: Kiss From a Rose

**Hey! Just a little bit of news before we get started! A family member of mine is going in for surgery next week and we have some overseas company coming for a fortnight, so my writing will be slowed significantly during that time! Just a little heads up! I should still be able to at least get a oneshot out though!**

 **Jack Redhawke: Well if you like the HolyRose ship then I can assure you that you'll like this chapter!**

 **ww1990ww: Absolutely! And some just might! You never know! A place where the Faunus would not be forced to hide would be a welcome change for them!**

 **Raging Archon: I agree. Blood is red like roses after all!... Sorry bad joke.. And I believe it's a written law that if you like spiders you are considered an outcast of society. As for Sun and Weiss, I'm sure they'll just be happy to be out of Beacon right now! And the wriggling? Well... You'll see.**

 **Novice4129: Yeah, I went a little peanut-butter banana sandwich crazy with the violence last time. But it was so fun!... And as for the survivors, there's a great possibility that people left behind will die! No one is safe! *Reads over a list of George R. R. Martin ideologies* Man this guy gets it.**

 **Hal: Thanks! Hopefully I continue to satisfy! And the trouble-making team of Yang and Carcharoth is** **definitely a favorite of mine too!**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 _Kiss From a Rose_

* * *

"So, as I'm sure you've all been made aware by the guards who escorted you here, I've called you all here today in response to the recent knowledge of a dire situation that may threaten Azeroth as a whole." Varian explained as his eyes scanned the collection of different races gathered around the war table.

Among them was a woman, her identity concealed by the royal purple robe that hid all but the locks of golden blonde hair that poured down her shoulders like waterfalls. To the right of the woman sat a tall lilac skinned elf, who's eyes shined a vibrant yellow shade that seemed to pierce through any who it focused it's attention on. On the end was an intimidating dark grey furred Worgen, grabbed completely in the armor of an Alliance lieutenant. He seemed to carry himself with an air of authority about him, that was for sure.

Anduin was also there sitting beside his father as he always had, his face conveying no outward emotion. Though beside the prince sat a new face. Slumped over in her chair, staring at the board in the same way a fascinated child would gaze at a board game, was Ruby.

On the other side of Varian, Wrath had found himself a seat, silently going over the board before the meeting had even formally begun, shifting unit markers over into different locations that appeared to be just a little too bare and one to enemy attack.

In the corner, away from the rest of the meeting, Varimas sat with Yang at a separate table, the latter of which was happily stroking Carcharoth.

"Not particularly, the guards who came to retrieve me from my guest quarters in the mage district refused to speak of the matter in public." The purple robed woman explained, tilting her head in the direction of the night elf who sat beside her. "Kal'dine, I assume yours were just as tight lipped?"

"Unfortunately the guards who come escort me here were less than talkative as well. Though they seemed exceedingly nervous about this news. Worryingly so honestly..." The night elf, Kal'dine, muttered. He had tried nearly everything to get them to talk, including bribery.

"Ravarth? What about yours?" The purple robed woman inquired as she tilted her head over in the direction of the lupine soldier.

"Hmm? Course they did. The louts know better than to refuse an order from their superior officer. Though it took some convincing. A threat or two for a unit transfer out to the Barrens helped the matter along nicely." The Worgen, evidently named Ravarth, said as he crossed his arms and closed his eyes. "Still though, they only talked once they were in my house and the door was shut."

"For the best. Open discussion of this issue could end up in public hysteria..." Varian explained cryptically, leaning over the table as he stared intently at the pieces that Wrath had moved to different locations. He had to admit, the elf had an eye for strategy. If only he was so careful all the time.

"Care to explain what this issue ' _is_ ' Varian?" The purple robed woman was the first to speak up, crossing her arms as she leaned back in her chair. She was used to Varian acting paranoid but this behavior was strange, even for him.

"Well, to put it simply, we believe that the Burning Legion is making preparations to invade Azeroth." Varian explained after a small sigh. They were words he never wanted to have to say, but here they were. Nothing for it. "And another planet, known to its in habitants as Remnant is already under siege."

"Another _world_? My men certainly neglected to mention that little detail to me... What proof do you have of this other world My King?" Ravarth asked, prying his eyes open, which shined with interest. A new planet could have been news in of itself!

"We have survivors from the battle waiting in the other room." Varian gestured over to Ruby and Yang, who both glanced up at the king when they noticed they were being singled out. "And a few of us at this table actually originate from that world."

Both Ruby and Yang gave little waves to the Azerothians, who either nodded in acknowledgement, or in the case of the purple robed woman, actually even gave a little wave back.

"Hold on... You say survivors. Exactly how _Large_ was this attack that was launched on their world?" Kal'dine asked, waiting as Varian's eyes seemed to suddenly become downcast.

"Large." Wrath finally spoke up, moving one last unit piece into place before turning to face the night elf. He used to have little love for the night elves, always hearing stories of their strange ways, but ever since he had rescued Anduin he had become rather familiar with the night elves, and they had not been nearly as bad as he had expected. "Witnessed it for myself. The Legion is having a field day with the unprepared warriors of their world. They can barely fight back at this rate."

"Then why bother trying to save them?" Ravarth muttered, leaning forwards in his chair. "If they're as good as dead then why send our men into the meat grinder just-..."

"Let me finish and I'll tell you. Yes, its true that the Legion has an advantage over the warriors of Remnant, since they've never dealt with demons before..." Wrath interrupted, getting a small growl from the Worgen in response. "We have though... If we respond with a counter-invasion of our own, we could beat the Legion's forces back long enough for the mages of the Kirin Tor to erect a shield around at least one of their four major kingdoms."

"That plan explains why I've been called I suppose." The purple robed woman theorized. Her shoulders slumped as she continued however. "I'm not sure how much help I can be though, the amount of clout I possess among my peers has... _Fallen_ since the events of Dalaran and the Sunreavers..."

"Well, that is true..." Wrath began before turning to Khadgar who gave a small smirk. "But it just so happens that another Mage of rather significant importance is with us now as well. Together your voices would no doubt stir the Kirin Tor to fully stand behind the counterattack."

"And I personally wholeheartedly agree with our elven friend on this plan of his." Khadgar said, idly playing with one of the unit pieces that previously lay on the board. "None of us hold any love for the Legion, and saving another world from the flame means more potential allies when Azeroth and the Legion finally come to blows."

"You can convince the rest of the council then?" The purple robed woman asked.

"Absolutely. I'll head over to Dalaran now as a matter of fact." Khadgar responsed before carefully placing the unit piece back onto the war board before pulling himself to his feet, staff in hand. "I trust the rest of you can settle the rest of the preparations for war yourselves?"

After receiving nods from the other Azerothians around the room Khadgar quickly shifted his form into that of a raven. He took off a moment later, disappearing from the room with a loud squawk as he nearly flew into a wandering guard.

"I suppose that takes care of support from the Kirin Tor..." Kal'dine began, leaning forwards in his chair as he clenched his hands under his chin in thought. "Now we'll need to figure out what to do with civilian refugees that will no doubt cause a supply issue. We might be able to ration-..."

Before Kal'dine could speak further a loud scream suddenly echoed from down the hall, causing everyone in the room to jump to their feet, weapons at the ready. Had the Legion's scouts found it's way to Stormwind so soon? Was it a spy from the Horde who felt the tenuous peace had gone on too long? Was it perhaps even a full force attack on the city by the demons?

While that was certainly what the occupants of the room were expecting, it was far from what entered the room only a few moments later.

It was a small brown and white corgi with its tongue hanging out lazily to the side.

" _Zwei_!" Both Ruby and Yang dropped their guard and ran over beginning to pet the dog lovingly while the other occupants of the room all slowly began to lower their weapons, realizing that the threat was far from what they believed it to be.

Blake crept into the room soon afterwards with Sun, who was carrying Weiss on his back, following her close behind. The feline faunus looked absolutely terrified. "Where is it?!... Does someone have it held down?!"

"Oh thank you Blake! You saved Zwei! Even after all that stuff you said about hating dogs!" Ruby cried happily as she captured Zwei in her arms and squeezed the dog gently, rubbing her cheek on top of the corgi's head. She had originally thought that Zwei would have been lost in the demon attack, but Blake had rescued him! " _Thank you, thank you, thank you!_ "

"It-... It was hiding in my _Bag_!" Blake stuttered out as she wrapped her arms around herself, visibly shivering as she glared daggers at Zwei, who stared back at the faunus with innocent eyes. She hated that damn canine. "It could've ripped out my throat from behind!"

"Relax good lookin'. It's just a little dog!" Sun laughed, as he carefully laid Weiss' limp form against the stone wall of the room, making sure she would not fall over on her side, not noticing Wrath's eye twitch at the pet name. "What could it possibly do to ya?"

" _Little dog_?! That ' _thing_ ' darkness incarnate!" Blake cried loudly as she jabbed a finger in the direction of the offending 'beast', who merely began panting louder at the attention. "The only thing that could possibly be worse than a dog is a werewo-..."

Blake suddenly fell silent.

"Blake?" Sun asked, realizing that Blake had ceased her ranting. Turning to look at his ex-girlfriend he noticed that she was standing stiff as a board, her amber eyes locked to something in front of her. Waving a hand in front of her face Sun attempted to garner her attention. "Woohoo? Anyone home?"

She did not respond however. The faunus was completely frozen, staring at none other than the large armor clad Worgen that stared back at Blake with an uninterested gaze.

"What're _You_ staring at cat-ears?" Ravarth muttered, his gaze hardened when he realized his observer would not be saying a thing.

Blake hit the floor unconscious a moment later.

* * *

"So we're agreed on sending the 56th regiment along with a small band of Kirin Tor mages to accompany the strike team who will be attacking Remnant?" Varian proposed as he glanced around the war table, earning a nod from each and every participant before turning back to the war table, moving a few of the unti pieces around. "Good... Now that just leaves the issue of who among us will be leading the charge on Azeroth, and who will be traveling to secure a foothold in Remnant."

"I would recommend those who originate from Remnant lead the charge on their planet." Kal'dine responded as he rubbed his temples in thought. He was beginning to get a migraine. "Their experience with the land will be invaluable, especially since we were unaware of it's existence until just recent-..."

Suddenly the source of the Night Elf's budding migraine came about. From the corner for what seemed like the hundredth time that day Weiss' sobs rippled through the air, breaking the concentration of those gathered around the table. Even Carcharoth looked less than amused at the heiress' cries.

"Will someone _Please_ quiet the girl down?" Ravarth was the first to speak up about the issue. Truthfully he had been holding his tongue long after he had first heard the crying, but it had gone on long enough to make him want to bite off his own tongue. "She's been doing this for over an hour now and her crying is driving me up a wall!"

"Leave her alone Ravarth, she's seen things she never thought she would today." Wrath, who was holding Blake's unconscious form, explained as he stole a careless glance over at Weiss. She had curled up into a ball on the floor, her entire body shaking like a leaf with each cry she let out. "Her friends were cut down right in front of her."

"Don't remember that being a problem of mine elf..." Ravarth replied dully as he stared at Wrath. He had respect for the blood elf, there was no doubt about that, but he always had an issue for how Wrath often put the interests of a select group of people over the majority. "My friends've died in front of me dozens of times. Don't hear me squealing about it."

" _Ravarth_..."

"We're not going to be getting anything meaningful done with all this racket!" The Worgen growled loudly, earning a look of contempt from Wrath, who tightened his grip on Blake slightly before a small smirk crossed his face.

"Then why don't you go calm her down?" He asked, his voice clearly portraying his belief as to whether or not Ravath could truly hope to sedate the heiress to any real degree.

Unfortunately, if Ravarth sensed the sarcasm dripping from Wrath's words he chose to completely ignore them. With another growl the Worgen launched himself from his chair, very nearly sending the wooden seat flying across the room in the process. "Fine, I will."

With that Ravarth took in a breath in preparation before he stalked over and stood over Weiss' shaking form, his eyes reading nothing but annoyance for the white haired fencer laying on the floor like a beaten child.

"Uh... You can shut-... You can stop crying now... ' _little girl_ '..." Ravarth awkwardly began, obviously completely unaware as to what to do in a situation such as this. Multiple people in the room covered their faces with their palms in a loud chorus of slaps, including Varian.

Despite the rather pathetic attempt at consolation from the Worgen, Weiss' tears flowed from her eyes unabated as she began to mutter something under her breath that everyone except for Ravarth and Sun had to strain in order to hear. "Oh _God_... Ren... Nora... Coco... Velvet... All you guys..."

" _Please_ stop crying." Ravarth tried again, though the edge in his voice was beginning to resurface as annoyance bubbled inside of him. If this had been one of his soldiers he would just kick them in the stomach a few times until they snapped out of it.

Weiss however only kept crying, seemingly unaware of the Worgen that towers above her, it's claws balling into and out of a fist menacingly with each word she uttered. "And Neptune... No... He's probably out there looking for me!... Please be okay Neptune... _Please_..."

"I _Said_ stop crying!" Ravarth yelled, his patience growing exceptionally thin with the crying girl.

Yang and Ruby both began to rise from their chairs at the sudden spike in Ravarth's temper, but before they were even out of their chairs both were stopped by Variams and Anduin, who gave each sister a small shake of the head. Interfering would no doubt only annoy the Worgen further.

"I'm _ordering_ you to quiet down!" Ravarth finally snapped, seizing Weiss by the collar of her jacket, holding her up in the air like a limp rag doll as he shouted. Rules and manners be damned. If she wanted to ignore him then he would treat her the exact same way he would treat any soldier in her position. "Do you hear me in there?!"

As Weiss kept weeping Ravarth let out an inhuman growl before he began to shake her roughly around, which finally made the heiress open her eyes, only for them to widen in horror when she saw the massive beast that held her aloft like a piece of trash ready to be tossed away at any moment. Or more accurately like a piece of meat ready to be ripped apart by a wolf's fangs.

" _HEY_! I told you to shut your damn mouth!" Ravarth ordered, giving the girl another shake for good measure, though if it was to make sure he had her attention or just for a little bit of revenge for the hour of noise he could not be sure. "Didn't your parents teach you any manners?!"

The only response that Ravarth got was Weiss' terrified trembling in his grip.

" _ANSWER ME_!" He shook Weiss harder and harder. He figured that eventually she would snap out of her trance like any of his soldiers, and that she could take the rather harsh sobering tactic like all others who had come before her that had also ended up in his claws. Unfortunately he was wrong on both fronts.

Weiss fainted.

Once Ravarth noticed that Weiss' head was hanging limply back he stopped shaking her and examined her for a moment just to make sure she was not dead. Once he was sure he dropped her carelessly on the floor, before turning back to head back to his chair, all while under the disapproving glare of his colleagues. Two guards quickly ran over to check on Weiss and leaned her against the wall while Ruby and Yang watched awkwardly.

"Fantastic show Knight-Lieutenant, why I'd wager you'll have her in your bed within the week." The woman in purple robes remarked as she crossed hear arms once more. Sure, she had been annoyed by the crying as well, but what Ravarth had done was just way too far!

"Stow it Proudmoore, I didn't see you tryin' to shut her up." Ravarth muttered as he planted himself back in his chair, crossing one lupine leg over the other, his silver and golden armor squeaking quietly as it rubbed together.

"She didn't need to be 'shut up', she requires aid!" The woman, Proudmoore, responded as she pointed at the fallen heiress. "She's lost nearly everything in a matter of hours! The least you could do would be to show a sliver of compassion for the poor girl."

"None of us could hear ourselves think with all her screeching!" Ravarth reasoned, rolling his eyes in an exaggerated manner. He was not about to be told by Proudmoore how he had over-reacted to a situation. That was certainly the pot calling the kettle black. "I solved the problem didn't I?"

"You've already managed to render two guests unconcious Ravarth. I would ask that you put your ' _helpful nature_ ' on hold for the time being if you wouldn't mind." Varian warned in a low tone, though judging by the annoyed expression on Ravarth's face, the Knight-Lieutenant was far from finished.

"The first one wasn't even my fault! She just fell over for no bloody reason!" Ravarth roared as he jabbed his finger in the direction of Wrath, who unconsciously turned ever so slightly, as if attempting to shield Blake from the Worgen's accusation.

"Can we please just stop fighting?" Ruby nervously tried, standing up as she leaned forwards towards Proudmoore and Ravarth.

"I don't take orders from _Children_!" Ravarth snapped, bringing his attention over to the reaper for the first time since the meeting began, causing her to newly fall back into her chair in surprise.

" _Enough_! I suggest you all take a moment to collect yourselves, _now_!" Anduin suddenly yelled out, startling everyone in the room into a stupor at the sudden outburst of the prince. Even Wrath was staring at him wide eyed. He had never seen Anduin speak it in such a way before. "This childish bickering bickering is getting us _nowhere_!"

Ravarth was the first to recover from the prince's outburst. He casually leaned back in his chair in an attempt to show he was unmoved by Anduin's words, though in reality he was just as stunned as everyone else.

"Well... Now that we've got two unconscious women and Prince Anduin's finally growing a set'a teeth perhaps we can get back to the battle plans before my fur grows grey?" He asked, making sure to give Anduin a pointed glare of annoyance in the process.

"Ravarth is right..." Varian spoke up, garnering the attention f the table's occupants once more. "Alright... Thankfully all that's really left is deciding which of us will be assaulting Remnant to wipe out the members of the Legion which hold Vale, and which of us will remain in Azeroth to accompany me to the Tomb of Sargeras to deal with the Legion invasion amassing there."

"Well I plan to accompany you to the assault of the Tomb but..." Wrath trailed off as he contemplated something for a few moments. "I'd also recommend that a few of Remnant's huntsmen and huntresses come with us as well..."

"Interesting suggestion... Your reasoning for such a strange proposition?" Kal'dine asked, toying with one of the pieces on the board idly. A favorite past-time of anyone sitting around the war table no doubt.

"One of them has been training directly under Highlord Tirion Fordring." Wrath began, bringing his hand up to his chin in though as he crossed his other arm over his stomach. "And a few others have learned to fight on Azeroth without the use of their power source, Dust, which normally would render them unable to battle outside the atmosphere of their planet."

"You refer to the Nikos girl I've been teaching for the last few months and the Arc boy that Tirion's taken under his wing?" Varian asked. He had always thought the Nikos girl had been a perfectly capable fighter on her own merits. Was she really suffering from such a gimp? It would certainly explain Jaune Arcs... Fighting ' _prowess',_ that was for sure.

"Yes, and Yang Xiao Long." Wrath added, jabbing his thumb in the direction of the blonde. "She's been able to wrangle control over the Fel-magic that has been present in her body ever since her injuries from the Sargerei's suicidal attack. Took a bit of training on Varimas' part, but she got it down pretty quickly."

"Wait what?" Ruby asked, mouth agape. She quickly stood from her seat once more and turned to Yang with a bright smile on her face. "Yang... Can you really fight like the demon lady did?!"

"Yep!" Yang let sparks of Fel-fire shoot from her fingertips, grinning as several occupants in the room, guards included, all took the chance to duck for cover from any potential destruction that the blonde could wreak. Only Wrath and Varimas seemed to remain calm. "Pretty cool huh? I don't even need Ember Celica to lay down the hurt anymore!... Course I'm still gonna wear it but-..."

"Lady Xiao Long, as beneficial this new ability is for you, I would urge you to recall just how you were granted the ability in the first place." Anduin interrupted, still ready to hide behind the table should Yang not have as much control over her powers as Wrath suspected.

The smile on Yang's face vanished almost just as quickly as it had first appeared.

"Seems the lot of you don't understand just what we're up against here." Ravarth said as he and the others returned to their seats. "This is war. Plain and simple. And it's with a foe that we've only ever been able to push back, never completely defeat."

Ruby raised her hand nervously before she began to speak. "We understand, but we can still win, even if-..."

"There is no 'but' girly... You want to know something?" Ravarth stood from his chair and stalked over to Ruby, staring her in the eye. To the reaper's credit, she did not even flinch. "We're talking about the Burning Legion in all it's damnable glory, do you know what that means?"

"No?"

"It means that anyone you know thats not present in this room right this very minute could alright be dead. Another nameless, faceless victim of their crusade." Ravarth hissed, inwardly smirking when Ruby's eyes widened in horrifying realization. "Family and friends included... No one is safe."

"I... I didn't _mean_..."

"Let that sink into your head kid. This is no fairytale, this is _reality_." The Worgen interrupted, watching as Ruby's resolve began to crack. She slowly backed into Anduin's arms as Ravarth pressed on. "We have no idea what we'll find in your world anymore, good or bad. For all we know your world might not even be inhabitable anymore."

Ruby stood stock still as she mumbled something under her breath, stepping out of Anduin's embrace.

"What was that?" Ravarth asked, leaning forwards in an exaggerated manner as he put his paw up to his ear.

"I said 'it doesn't mean we shouldn't try'..." Ruby repeated as she puffed out her cheeks defiantly. "I know my friends, and they don't give up, no matter what! They're out there!"

Ravarth was silent for a few moments before a small grin appeared on his face. "Good answer kid..."

He returned to his chair only a moment later, leaving a shaken but pride filled Ruby behind.

"So... Now that we're all on the same page... I believe I've been able to divide us based on our strengths and likelihood to survive our given destination." Wrath explained as he held up a small scroll which contained a small list of names. "In the strike team heading for Remnant I have... Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Anduin, Ravarth, and Sun... The rest of us will remain behind on Azeroth since we'll be able to fight to out fullest potential unlike those who still heavily rely on Dust to do battle."

"Wait just a moment elf. Why're you sending me with the children to their world?" Ravarth asked as he held his hand up towards Wrath. "I don't need that Dust of theirs to kill demons."

"Because, while Anduin may be academically prepared to lead an army I think thou would agree that books do nothing to convey the panic of the battlefield... It wouldn't hurt to have an experienced officer go along with him to keep the assault strategy sound." Wrath explained. He knew this was going to be tricky, but thankfully Ravarth had one weakness when it came to a debate. His pride. "Think of it as just another challenge in your military career."

" _Fine_." Ravarth replied after a few moments of quiet consideration. "But I plan to fight demons, not babysit."

"All I ask." Wrath turned back to the rest of the group and gave Varian a small nod.

Varian responded with a nod of his own before speaking up. "We'll launch the counter-offensive campaign within the month, once enough of the military has been mustered. If no one has any further questions concerns then we can consider this meeting adjourned."

"Hold up! A _month_?!" Sun suddenly cried out, coming forward from the wall he hd been leaning against.

"That is correct." Varian confirmed. "Why?"

"They aren't gonna last a month! We were barely able to hold on for the first day!" The faunus explained frantically. He was under the impression they would be going right back! "They'll be able to stand against those demon bastards for a week at best."

"I'm sorry, but a month is the quickest I can hope to get any sort of large gathering of troops on the ground." The King explained, giving a small shake of his head. "I wish I could say that they could be ready sooner, but the bulk of our military is either on leave or stationed around the world."

"Then at least let us go back!" Sun pleaded, making his way over to the ear table in only a few strides. "We might be able to help! My team was with me at Beacon, I can't leave them behind!"

Wrath was on his feet before Varian could even speak.

" _No_. We were lucky enough to get out of that hellhole alive. We aren't going back without military support. End of story." The Death Knight explained. He did not like the situation either, but if brutal honesty was the only way to cool Sun's jets then he had to be truthful. "We'd be torn apart if we went ourselves."

"Wrath is correct..." Varian began, watching as hope visibly began to vanish from Sun's expression, replaced by the all too familiar frown of despair. "I know your desire to save your friends is strong, but you must not let your emotions drive you to a hasty, and unwise, decision."

"So we can't do anything?..." Sun asked. Neptune would no doubt be desperately searching for Weiss, just like she had said. Hopefully Scarlet and Sage would be able to get their blue haired teammate under control before he got them all killed.

Wrath shook his head softly with closed eyes, letting his grip on Blake tighten. No doubt Sun was worried about his team. Would they even be alive by the time they could return to Remnant? Hopefully. "I'm sorry Sun... But we just have to wait..."

Sun clenched his fists at his sides before slouching his shoulders in defeat.

The other occupants of the room soon began to file out past the monkey faunus as he stood there, with only Ruby and Yang giving him a reassuring pat on the shoulder as they passed by.

He never noticed. His mind was focused on something else, something that he did not want to accept, but knew he had to if he wanted to have any hope of survival.

This was war... And there would no doubt be casualties.

* * *

The rest of the night had gone relatively smoothly. Mostly.

Blake had awoken only a few hours after her encounter with Ravarth. When she had first opened her eyes and saw that Wrath was holding her as he quietly read a book, she had almost immediately assumed that she had just fallen asleep and her encounter had all just been some sort of horrible dream. Just a cruel specter formulated by her fried nerves.

That was of course until Ravarth had absentmindedly sauntered into the royal library scarfing noisily on a large leg of roast lamb contently, muttering something about how he would kill to get more.

Blake was out like a light for the rest of the night after that.

Weiss had also been pulled from her forced slumber soon after by an ice cold bucket of water, courtesy of the tag team of Yang and Carcharoth. The heiress had made an amazingly fast recovery after that, somehow summoning the energy to chase the brawler around the castle with Myrtenaster.

She only stopped her chase when Pyrrha and Jaune intervened, which promoted Weiss to switch the target of her frustrations onto the poor Arc boy.

Ruby and Anduin though? They were in a much different situation than their friends. Not long after the meeting had formally ended, the two had both decided to forgo dinner in favor of a small walk around the castle.

This was strange. Usually Anduin had to keep a light jog in order to stay at pace with the hyperactive huntress, but now they walked slowly side by side with Ruby glancing down at the floor as her hood hung in front of her face, obscuring it from the world.

"Ruby? You've been acting strange ever since the meeting earlier today... Is something bothering you?" Anduin asked as he and Ruby began to make their way up one of many sets of stairways that lead to the upper floors of the castle where Ruby's quarters were located.

They usually ended their day up there with a friendly chat and a quick hug. Ruby had almost always been in a great mood though. Would she even want to talk tonight? Anduin was not sure at all.

"Uh... _No_!... What makes you say that?" Ruby asked after a few more seconds of silence.

"I've never seen you walk around with your hood up before." Anduin explained, folding his hands behind his back as both he and Ruby finally made it up the last set of stairs to the hall where Ruby's room was located, along with the other guest rooms. "Your friends and sister all informed me that you only do so when you're upset by something."

"I'm fine!..." Ruby insisted as she reached up to remove her hood before giving the prince a nervous smile that not even Ruby herself would buy. She just could not muster the energy to make it anymore convincing. "See? Totally cool!..."

"Ruby..." Anduin halted in the middle of the hallway, reaching over to grasp one of Ruby's hands, causing her to stop walking as well. "Please tell me what's wrong... I've never seen you behave like this before."

"I'm just worried I guess..." Ruby admitted. No use in hiding it she though, the truth would come out eventually. Better here when it was only Anduin. She could honest with him. "What if that wolf-man was right? What if my family and friends really are-..."

Ruby bit her lip, refusing to finish her statement, as if somehow that would prevent it from coming true.

"...And what if you were the one who was correct?" Anduin's words made Ruby glance up at the prince with a mix of surprise and confusion. She felt his other hand reach hers as well, causing them to come completely face to face with each other.

" _Wha_?..."

"What if they are still hanging on, fighting against the Legion?" Anduin continued with a confident smile on his face. Was that smile just there for her benefit? To make her feel better? It did not matter if it was. It succeeded. "Don't you think it's worth looking, just on the off chance that they still stand against the demons?"

"Yeah... Yeah it is." Ruby smiled back at her friend with renewed hope beginning to burn in her heart. Or was that perhaps a different feeling? If it was she had no idea what it could be. "Thanks Anduin."

The continued walking down the hall, though when they finally arrived at Ruby's quarters they did not stop. They merely kept on their path, never even bothering to glance at the doorway leading to Ruby's room.

"Hey, Anduin?..."

"Hmm? What is it Ruby?"

"Thanks for standing up to the wolf man for me..." The reaper said, idly fidgiting with the cross on her belt. "I was just afraid someone was going to get really annoyed and I just wanted them to stop so-..."

"You did well Ruby." Anduin complimented. Honestly he had never seen Ravarth take so someone so quickly, even if it was a still less than amazing first impression. "Truthfully you handled the situation better than I did. I shouldn't have raised my voice like that."

"Well I mean, you got them to stop so it wasn't all bad right?" Ruby asked, giving the prince a playful shove on the shoulder.

"Yes, I suppose so." Anduin conceded before giving a small sigh, turning to face his friend once more. His expression did little to hide the concern he clearly harbored. "Ruby can I ask something?..."

"What's up?"

"Why do you fight?" Anduin asked.

"What do you mean?" Ruby raised an eyebrow. That was a strange question to throw out to the wind. Was Anduin feeling alright?

"Why do you fight, despite knowing that you may very well die?" Anduin elaborated. He recalled how a Pandaren had asked him the exact same question about the Alliance. At the time he had not been sure how exactly to respond. He was not sure if he could even now honestly.

"My professor, Dr. Oobleck said something to me once." Ruby began, clicking her tongue loudly as she attempted to recall the words of her caffeine addicted teacher. "We were walking around a destroyed city during a mission and he was telling me how when he looked up at the ruined buildings that were all around us he saw lives that could've been saved. I guess thats why I fight. So that I can save people who might not be able to save themselves."

"You seem so sure of yourself."

"Yeah. Why? Aren't you?"

"Honestly, no..." Anduin admitted as he glanced down at the floor. Years of being told that peace was a lie or a fairytale has taken it's toll on the prince. "There are many times I doubt that my way of thinking is right for the world I live in..."

"Your way of thinking? How do you think differently?"

"Well... I've always been an advocate for peace, usually to a fault. Even when others only see war, I see the potential for a non-violent outcome to a conflict." Anduin explained, his voice growing softer with time. "I've always attempted to at least try to converse with our enemies, to see if a peaceful resolution could possibly come about... But..."

Ruby and Anduin stepped out onto the central balcony of the hallway, the fresh air of the city enveloping them both in a cool shroud that nearly sent a shiver up Ruby's spine. "But what?..."

"Ravarth was right about one thing... We now find ourselves up against a foe that will accept no peace. Their only goal is to burn our worlds, and they cannot be persuaded out of it." Anduin said, roughly gripping the stone railings of the balcony. "It's just hard to think about how we will soon be forced to fight for our survival, and be given no mercy if we buckle under their might. We'll all need to make some really tough decisions in the coming months, some of which will no doubt be desperate..."

"Well I know you'll be able to make those decisions. You Are the prince of your kingdom after all." Ruby reassured, giving one of her signature innocent smiles that seemed to radiate good intentions. It did little to calm the nearly shot nerves of the prince however.

"I'm not sure I will..." He admitted, releasing his grip on the stone railing in favor of leaning against it so that he could stare out over the city.

"What? Why not?"

"Ruby... I've never been the best with making tough decisions. I will be the first to admit that there are times that I'm blinded by my own ideologies..." Anduin gave a humorless chuckle as his eyes scanned the streets below. "I'm sure it's the source of most of the problems I find myself in..."

"Well then I guess it's a good thing you have me here to help!" Ruby exclaimed as she jabbed her thumb against her chest, giving a proud grin.

"Yes. I do. And I'm thankful for it." Anduin chuckled, this time one of genuine laughter. Ruby blushed a light shade of pink at his comment, though if the prince noticed, he chose to not point it out. At least not with his words.

A moment later a stuttering Ruby found herself standing inches from Anduin, his arms wrapped loosely around her hips. Her blush only deepened at this. "It's... I mean-... Your welcome!"

"It's funny... I've never been one who's been able to say for sure what the best course of action is. I doubt I ever will, even when I become king I'm sure the best choices will be hidden behind the fog of doubt... But..." Anduin hesitated for a moment. Should he tell her? Was it wise? He got that answer when he glanced into her eyes. Eyes that eliminated every hint of doubt in his heart. "At least I can see one thing, clear as the sun... A decision I'll _never_ regret..."

"Wh-what?... What decision?..."

"Ruby... I-..." Anduin swallowed as he prepared to utter the words that would no doubt change his life. Be it for better or for worse, the moment he said what he wanted to he knew nothing would be the same between he and Ruby And it was for that reason he let those words slip from his mouth. "The decision to fall in love with you..."

It was silent for nearly a full minute on the balcony. Neither Anduin or Ruby moved a muscle. Only the distant sounds of the city and the soft chirping of crickets could be heard, along of course with the frantic breathing of both Prince and reaper.

Soon Anduin's eyes began to widen in fear when he realized that Ruby was essentially frozen in place. He had screwed up. He had gone screwed it all up!

He quickly switched gears, hoping to at least save himself from the shipwreck he was steering himself towards at a breakneck speed. Salvaging what could be saved from his friendship was now his top priority. "I'm-... I'm sorry, that was out of line, I shouldn't have-..."

Anduin was cut off when Ruby suddenly grabbed ahold of his top and pulled him towards her, smashing their lips together before the Prince could even begin to register what was happening.

Not exactly the kiss under the moonlight he had envisioned but Light be dammed if he was going to complain about how it turned out anyway.

He soon began kissing back, pulling Ruby's smaller frame against his own. Neither of them had ever kissed another before, and to any third party they would have most certainly looked ridiculous.

They did not care though. It was perfect to them.

Unbeknownst to either party on the balcony, hiding behind the wall just out of sight of the new couple, Yang clutched a fist against her chest and smiled softly, letting a tear of pride slide down her cheek.

Her baby sister was finally growing up.

* * *

 **And _that_ is how you give away a chapter's content in the title!... Wait... That's a bad thing. Dang it. For those wondering, yes I did completely get the name for this chapter from the SEAL song.**

 **Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading!**


	14. Chapter 14: Call to Arms

**I'm alive! I'm alive!... Sorry about the delay, like I said last time, I had to deal with some craziness, and then suddenly my spring break went from a relaxing week at home to a trip to the shore so... Yeah. Oops.**

 **TehUnoman: Hey, gotta admit if you were scared of dogs and saw a Worgen it wouldn't be the most fun.**

 **Novice4129: Blood and the death of beloved characters makes the world spin! Also I'm sure she have him the speech behind the scenes. I might make a one-shot about that talk one day! And oh, there will be survivors, the only question is... Well... How many? And who?**

 **Raging Archon: Yeah, it was strange writing something that didn't involve the death of an individual. It made me sad. also I get the feeling people will either really like or really hate Ravarth, there won't be an in-between. (Because let's face it, he's kind of mean.)**

 **Mad God 42: Oh don't worry, all the races you mentioned will show up eventually! The Horde actually appears in this chapter, but if you mean detailed interaction with Horde races, then look no further than the upcoming chapters. The only reason I haven't had more horde interaction is that the last few chapters have taken place in either Remnant or Stormwind. So expect to see the Horde soon!**

* * *

Call to Arms

* * *

It had been nearly a full month since the attack on Beacon. A month filled with apprehension and uncertainty for everyone.

Varian had called upon the full force of the Alliance military almost the minute after the meeting between the members of the war council had concluded, and after weeks of preparation, nearly half of the Alliance army was now within Stormwind's walls, preparing for the counter invasion ahead.

Weiss had been able to make a relatively quick recovery, and she and Ravarth immediately hit it off. That is if one described 'hit it off' as finding a way to insult the other in the most creative way possible without resorting to a physical altercation, which had almost happened more than once.

Blake and Wrath of course were content to spend their time either training against each other in the courtyard or lounging around lazily in the library, where multiple bean bag chairs had been placed. Her favorite type of reading chair. Seemingly no one knew how they got there, but when she asked Wrath about it he certainly seemed more nervous than the others when questioned.

Varimas had taken a liking to inconspicuously experimenting on the mental fortitude of the guards, almost always without their consent. At first it was only a mysterious thrown plate in the middle of an empty hallway in order to scare a patrolling guard or a few loud words in Orcish to rattle their bones. Unfortunately for them however the 'experiments' soon turned into small chase sessions with Carcharoth.

The only catch? Carcharoth was always 'it'.

Ruby and Anduin of course were often nowhere to be found half of the time. Usually a guard would say that they spotted the two wandering the streets of the city hand in hand, or even in the gardens in each other's arms, though no one could ever produce proof of such claims.

And Yang? Well...

"I still cant believe you guys have tattoo parlors in Azeroth. I thought you needed like... High tech needles and stuff?" Yang asked as she, Wrath, Blake, and Varimas all strode down one of the many bustling streets of Stormwind. It had been a question on her mind the last few days truthfully, but she had not bothered to bring it up until now.

No one ever said she was a good planner.

"We're plenty 'high-tech' thank you very much." Varimas responded with spite and crossed arms, only to receive a roll of the eyes from the brawler in response.

"Dude. This place is basically straight out of a fairy tale, how it high-tech at _all_?!" Yang said with a laugh. To her it was very well the case. After all, she had grown up around computers and other technology galore, not to mention all the state of the art tech that Atlas had brought with them during the Vytal festival.

"We have airships and robots. And we didn't need ' _dust_ ' to do it." Wrath, who had been trailing behind the warlock and the brawler along with Blake, interrupted quietly. Yang took a quick glance back at the Death Knight when he spoke, sticking out her tongue in an immature fashion.

"Quiet you."

"Hey, I'm not the one trusting our apparently 'inferior' technology on getting themselves a tattoo, so just remember exactly what you're insulting, and what it means for you." Wrath explained, glancing around at the various shops that surrounded them as they traveled, clearly displaying his disinterest at the conversation at hand.

"Oh crap... Hadn't thought'a that." Yang muttered to herself as she began to ponder the million and one ways that the procedure could possibly end up going wrong. And about half of them ended up much worse than just a bigger scar or half finished tattoo.

"This is going to end in tears." Blake muttered as she glanced up from the book she was reading, her words perfectly mirroring Yang's increasing apprehension.

"Probably.." Wrath agreed, causing Yang to let out a loud whine of annoyance more akin to a small dog than a near fully fledged huntress that caused a few passerby to stop and turn their heads towards her.

"You're not helping here people!"

The group arrived at the tattoo parlor soon after, and upon entering found the counter staffed by a bored looking gnome with goggles adorning his comically large head, along with a ginger bearded dwarf sleeping in the corner, seemingly resting in a bubble of obviousness, lost in his own little dream world.

"So what exactly are you looking for?" Wrath asked, trudging into the parlor and leaning against the wall closest to the door, watching as Yang and the others began scanning the scores of tattoo templates that adorned the walls like wallpaper. Well, Blake was pretending to look at any rate. Truthfully she was really just interested in her book.

"Not sure." Yang replied bluntly, never even glancing back at the Death Knight.

"Wait, what?" Wrath questioned as he registered what the blonde fighter had just blurted out, quickly rising off of the wall as he did so, nearly smacking into Blake into the process, the Faunus only saving herself through her quick reflexes. "You're getting a tattoo and you don't even know what you _Want_ yet?!"

"Is that a problem Frosty?" Yang as she looked back at the elf with a glare, propping a hand on her hip, which was a tilted off exaggeratedly to one side.

"Only slightly!" Wrath spat back as he advanced towards Yang, who turned to face the Death Knight head on. Despite her turning to face him however, Wrath did not back away, instead opting to get right into Yang's face. "Do you have absolutely no judgment in that blonde head of yours?!"

"More than you do Mr. ' _Hostage Taker_ '!"

" _Watch it_!..."

"You two are acting like children..." Blake spoke up, letting out a small sigh as she watched the two of them bickering from just over the edge of her book. Sometimes it was hard to imagine the two of them were considered elite warriors of their worlds.

As the two began to break out into a more heated argument, Varimas' soulshard suddenly began to glow once more. The only difference? This time the glow was much more pronounced than it had been previously.

And they soon learned the reason why. The horrible, horrible reason why.

"Hey! Hey now..." A voice echoed throughout the room. Before anyone could think to question the source of the voice however, the shining in Varimas' pouch became as bright as the sun for a brief moment, blinding the occupants of the room. When their eyes finally readjusted themselves the group found none other than a small Fel Imp standing upon one of the many counters. "Can't we all just get along?"

" _Xezbeth_?!" Wrath yelled in surprise, taking a moment to collect himself before turning to Varimas, his fists clenched up as he did so. When he finally found his voice and spoke his tone was noticeably lower, the threatening undertone not lost on it's recipient. "Varimas!..."

"Hey, I didn't-... I thought I left-..." Varimas stuttered out before whirling around to the imp. "How'd you get here?!"

"Eh, just thought how you're always the one summoning me boss!" The Fel Imp, Xezbeth, explained as he gave the two elves a sly grin that practically shined with the potential for mischief. "Thought I'd just spare ya the trouble and hop on over by myself!"

"Well your presence isn't necessary!" Varimas countered as he pointed over towards the entrance of the shop. Why had he not just double checked his bags back at Silvermoon? "Leave!"

"Aw! Does he have to? He looks cute!" Yang spoke up, clapping her hands together loudly and smiling as she watched the demon glance back in her direction.

"See boss? Your friend thinks I'm-..." Xezbeth's statement was cut short as the muscles in his mouth suddenly seemed to give out, hanging limply open like a hinged door. "Oh... _Wow_..."

"What? Do I have something on my face?" Yang asked, pawing at her cheeks in an attempt to find whatever the demon was staring so intently at.

Xezbeth however gave the brawler no response, and indtead decided to jump over onto Varimas' shoulder, leaning against the elf's hooded head. "Okay so you know how I said how humans have no redeeming qualities?"

"Yes?" Varimas asked in a cautious tone.

"I take it back." Xezbeth replied in a whisper as he continued to stare at Yang, who tilted head in confusion, unable to hear what was being said. "That has to be the breast-... I mean _best_ looking human I've ever seen!..."

"...Get off of my shoulder." Varimas ordered, slowly beginning to reach up towards the tiny demon that had opted to forgo his standing position in favor of lounging lazily against the Warlock's head.

"Ah ah, no can do!" Xezbeth said as he waggled his finger back and forth in a patronizing manner, though he never broke his gaze away from Yang.

"Why not?" Varimas asked.

"Views better."

Xezbeth was almost immediately flung off of Varimas' shoulder by the irritated Warlock, though recovered quickly and scurried up onto a stand parlor. Varimas gritted his teeth from behind his mask when he realized Xezbeth was just relocating himself for a better view without the danger of being thrown around. "Get out of here you little bastard!"

"Oh come on! Ya know ya love me boss!" Xezbeth cackled manically as he hopped back over to Varimas and gave the elf a cheesy smile. A smile that made Varimas want to punt the little bastard out of a window.

The Warlock in question let out a loud groan as he buried his masked face in his hands. He had not prepared to face this today. Not that Therre's was a way to prepare for Xezbeth really. "You have to be the most useless demon I can summon..."

"I think you mean _best_."

"Excuse me?" Varimas asked, glancing up from his cupped hands. "How in the name of the sun are you better than my other demons?"

"Oh please! Your other Demons are a _joke_! Your Wild Imps are brain dead, your Dreadstalkers roll in their own crap, your Voidwalker is always moody, your Succubus still hasn't forgiven me for that... uh... thing I did, your Doomguard is full of himself, your Infernal burns everything it touches, your Fel Guard is a prick, your Fel Lord is an even bigger prick, your Beholder drools all over the place and your Observer just stares at me and I don't like it... It's _REALLY_ uncomfortable!" Xezbeth finished, wrapping his arms around himself as he visibly shivered.

"Oh come now... Name one time that using you over one of my other demons would've ended in a more positive outcome."

"Well there was that one time you accidentally summoned your Infernal and it crashed into that Inn killing countless innocents... Remember that? That was _great_..." Xezbeth let out a sigh of contentment as he remembered that day.

"Alright. Fine..." Varimas conceded, holding up Xezbeth's soulshard with three fingers. "You've proven your point, now will you _Please_ -..."

"Speaking of point, can we start with this damn tattoo already?" Wrath finally said, causing Xezbeth and Varimas to glance over at the Death Knight to see his arms were crossed and his hood was now up. An easy sign he was unhappy; most likely with Xezbeth's appearance. "I need to go prepare something for Gambol Shroud and I want to make sure this is well underway before I go."

"Wrath! I forgot you were here! What's up?!" Xezbeth asked as he held out his hand towards the blue-eyed elf, as if honestly expecting a high-five. If that was what he expected though, his expectations were dashed when Wrath made no move towards him.

"You spoke to me 30 seconds ago you-..."

"Wait... Prepare something?" Blake interrupted as she set her book aside on a counter, drawing the sword section of Gambol Shroud and holding it up in front of her face. Was it broken? Did it have a dent? No. Nothing visible. "What's wrong with it?"

Wrath glanced over at Blake and shook his head. "Nothing I just want to-..."

"Halt! Hold it! _Cease fire_!" Xezbeth called out, waving his hands wildly around in the air in order to get the attention of the others.

" _What_?" Wrath asked, his frown deepening. There were times that Xezbeth was honestly a fun little demon to have running around. Then there was the other 99% of times that the little bastard showed up at the most inconvenient times.

Like now.

"Well first, you didn't say hi! And second... Cat ears Wrathy? Didn't know you were into that sorta thing." Xezbeth smirked suggestively as he scanned Blake up and down, taking a few more seconds than he should have to continue speaking. "Does she purr when you ' _pet_ ' her?"

"Annnd we're leaving." Wrath exclaimed as he began to hurry Blake out of the shop, nearly tripping over his own two feet in his haste to escape the situation. "Good luck Var! You'll need it!"

"Pssh... _Whatever_! Get outta here! Won't even give a guy a proper greeting..." Xezbeth yelled, giving the vanishing pair a dismissive wave before turning back to Varimas with a toothy smile. "We don't need him though, right boss?"

Varimas however, only held up a soulshard silently in response, causing Xezbeth's ears to fold back against his horns as he gazed up at the purple-pink crystalline stone with fear in his eyes.

"Uh... _Boss_?..."

Xezbeth was forced into the soulshard a moment later, screaming in protest.

"Pervert..." Varimas sighed as he stuffed the soulshard back into his pouch before turning back to Yang, who stood with a hand on her hip and a humored grin on her face. "Now that _that's_ over why don't we start looking around for a good design?"

"10-4 good buddy!"

"...What?"

"Eh, nothing."

The two spent the next few minutes scanning the shop for a suitable design. At first there seemed to be a few promising designs, but were quickly put off to the side when they realized just how much strain it would put on their budgets, even combined.

"Hey..." Yang eventually muttered, catching Varimas' attention when she held up the design of a large purple phoenix emblem that seemed older than the other designs on display, at least if the fading colors and outline was anything to go on. Regardless, it seemed to have piqued Yang's interest. "What about this one? It's only a hundred."

"Which one-... What in the?..." Varimas stopped cold when he glanced over to examine the design, and upon laying eyes on the phoenix nearly tripped due to the speed in which he attempted to cross the room. When he had regained his blanace he took the paper from Yang and stared at it in disbelief. "Where did you find this?"

"In this drawer over here, why?" Yang asked, pointing towards the offending piece of furniture. When she turned back to Varimas she took notice of the awkward aura that seemed to surround the Warlock.

"...Yang, this is my family crest..." Varimas muttered after nearly half a minute of stone cold silence, causing the brawlers eyes to widen in response to the statement. Quickly she snatched the paper back and turned it to the side and upside down, as if repositioning the design would do anything to help validate her friends claims.

"Woah, seriously?"

"Yes. Back before the third war my family was rather well known, even in the human kingdoms." Varimas explained, crossing his arms as he watched Yang continue to toy with the design. He was not annoyed with her, far from it, it was just rather strange to see it after so many years. "I suppose the artists just never disposed of it for one reason or another."

"Really? _Cool_!" Yang said as she held the design out to Varimas, seemingly satisfied in her investigation of the emblem. "Then that's the one I want!"

"Huh?"

"Your crest! I want that as my tattoo."

"Hold on, shouldn't you give it some thought before you commit to it?" Varimas asked, tilting his head to the side when Yang began to laugh softly, a cheeky grin appearing on her face.

"Pssh, not like I'm gonna get a bunny."

"Fair point."

* * *

Meanwhile, in Stormwind Keep's tallest tower, Wrath and Blake stood outside of the formers room, with the faunus waiting as her Death Knight companion silently turned his key into the complex looking combination lock. A moment later they were both inside.

"Why are we here? I thought you said you wanted to do something to my sword." Blake asked as she closed the door behind her with a loud click as the lock reset itself shut, leaving the passageway inaccessible once more.

"I do. But it's something that can't be done at a normal forge or anvil." Wrath replied.

"Then what-..."

"It's called Runeforging." The elf interrupted as he strolled over to the table in one corner of the room, reaching under it. A moment later he brought out a small glowing skull that seemed to contain some form of primal blue flame in it's mouth. "Have you ever noticed the strange writing on my blade? Or how when I'm in a fight my sword seems to glow?"

"Yes, I've always thought it was just part of your Death Knight powers, so I've never bothered to ask." She responded as she glanced around the room curiously. She had only ever been in here once before, and it was safe to say her first thought back then had not been the interior decoration of the place. Now that she could take the time to look around though, she had to admit that the entire room certainly possessed Wrath's 'unique charm'.

Many decorations were undoubtedly elven in nature, yet they were a far cry from those she witnessed back in Silvermoon city. While the ones in Silvermoon had been bold and in your face with their red and golden hues, the decorations in Wrath's room seemed to be their polar opposite, as most were either silver or a blueish tint.

"Well it's one of my powers, that's true. But I should be able to do the same to Gambol Shroud." Wrath responded, bringing Blake back into the present conversation. When she had been in her own little world examining his room the Knight had brought out what appeared to be a small ritualistic dagger, along with small jars of shining blue and red powders.

"Won't it need runic magic to activate?"

"No. Not particularly. Anyone can wield a runeblade, though only a Death Knight can unlock it's full power without assistance from others." Wrath explained as he opened the blue dust jar and poured a small mound into one of the eye sockets of the skull.

"Then why bother? I'm not a Death Knight." Blake asked as she watched Wrath repeat the same process with the red dust jar. A moment later she noticed the skull ornament seemed to be glowing brighter than before. Just what was he doing?

"No, but like I said... Without assistance from others." Wrath explained as he took the ritualistic dagger and shoved the blade into the jaw of the skull, letting the metal rest in the embers of the blue flames that seemed to coat the blade in a strange film of energy. "I can unlock the power so that you'll be able to use it."

"Alright, but how do I use it?"

"It's mostly subliminal. Just wield Gambol Shroud like you normally would, the runes will do the rest themselves." Wrath explained as Blake handed Gambol Shroud over to him.

After a few minutes of waiting Wrath reached over and retrieved the knife from the maw of the skull, bringing it over to Gambol Shroud. The moment that the glowing tip of the knife touched the sword's surface the metal of Gambol Shroud began to hiss as steam and small blue sparks rose from the contact between the two blades.

Seemingly unaffected by the small light show playing out in his hands, Wrath slowly dragged the knife tip along the surface of Gambol Shroud, carving strange runes into the metal that glowed the same haunting blue as the fire that crackled inside of the strange skull.

For the next few minutes things were silent between the two. Both had long ago found seats, with Blake watching it curiosity as her weapon was transformed into a runeblade before her very eyes. Eventually though she spoke up, shattering the silence that had dominated the room. "So I have to ask..."

"Hmm?"

"Why aren't you going to come with us to Remnant?" Blake began, resting her elbows on the table, never breaking her gaze from her beloved weapon. "You know the world better than any Azerothian."

"I would _much_ rather do that, believe me." Wrath replied in a hushed voice as he stopped the engraving process for only a moment as he turned his gaze to the rays of sunlight pouring through the windows of the room. "But that tomb... I have a feeling we'll need all the manpower we can spare and then some..."

"Just be careful. If what everyone's been saying about that tomb is true then you'll be facing some unfair odds."

"No promises." Wrath replied as he glanced over at the faunus with one of his signature smirks, causing Blake to smile and shake her head at the behavior of her elven friend. Even discussing the harshest of subjects he somehow found a way to shove in his own brand of sarcasm.

"So since we're on the subject of questions, I've got one for you." Said elf spoke up, causing Blake's ears to perk up as she noticed Wrath slide the rune-carving dagger back into the skull's mouth, presumably to reheat it.

"Huh?"

"What was your headmaster talking about back at Beacon before the Legion struck?" He asked, and upon receiving no response from Blake he clarified. "He and Weiss were talking about someone named ' _Cinder_ ' just before the Legion launched their attack."

"Oh... You heard that, huh?..." Blake asked, getting a nod in response. Honestly she had hoped that Wrath had either not noticed that part of the conversation or had passed it off as unimportant. Oh well, time to bite the bullet, she thought. "She is... ' _Was_ ' once a threat to Beacon."

"Was? What happened to her?"

"Well around a year ago she, her henchmen, and the White Fang all attacked Beacon in an attempt to destroy the school and gain a large amount of power while doing it." Blake explained, grimacing at the memories that flooded back to her from that day. A day she hoped she would never have to relive.

"White Fang? The group you were a part of?" Wrath asked, though judging by his suddenly cautious tone, he could sense Blake's discomfort regarding the events of that day, whatever they were.

"Exactly. My old bo-... Er... _Partner_ even showed up." Blake fumbled out, biting her lip when she realized just how close she had come to saying a completely different word. A word she never wanted to relate to that man ever again.

There were quite a few never agains associated with that day now that she thought about it.

"You mean that Adam guy you told me about back before we took Yang to Silvermoon?" Wrath asked, getting a nod from Blake, who appeared to be growing increasingly uncomfortable with each passing second. "How'd that end up going?"

"Not amazingly. Honestly if Yang hadn't stepped in I probably wouldn't be here now." Blake confessed, remembering just how close Adam's sword had come to her. Would honestly he have killed her if Yang had not stepped in? Probably. No, definitely. "He almost ended up cutting her down though. If she hadn't dodged at the last second..."

Blake shivered as she thought about the alternative. How different that night could have gone had Yang not sidestepped Adam's sword.

"So seeing as how you're standing in front of me instead of this ' _Cinder_ ' person I take it that Beacon won?" Wrath asked as he retrieved the engraving dagger from the skull and began to work on the other side of Gambol Shroud, keeping an ear up as Blake began her explanation.

"In the end. There were some civilian casualties and a ton of damage to the city and the school, but we managed to beat her eventually." The Faunus replied, idly twirling a lock of her raven hair with her fingers.

"Sounds like it wasn't easy. How'd it end?"

"Ruby and Pyrrha fought Cinder at the top of Beacon while the rest of us were either evacuating or fighting against the Grimm and White Fang." Blake said, leaning against the table and resting her chin in her hand. "Pyrrha was nearly killed but Ruby stepped in just in time, gave Pyrrha an opening to disable Cinder."

"Disable? She didn't kill her?" Wrath asked, surprised at what his friend had just said. It was not entirely implausible, after all it did certainly sound like something only Pyrrha would do.

"No. They captured her." Blake replied, shaking her head. When she had first heard about how she had been captured instead of killed she was rather annoyed, but in the end she had just been glad that night was over by the end of it. "We haven't heard anything about her since though, so honestly my guess is she's not even alive anymore."

"Too bad... She could've been useful against the Legion from the way you spoke of her." Wrath muttered. After a few moments he glanced back over to Blake. "What about your old friend? The one you used to work with?"

"I'm not sure. He retreated after Yang broke his sword with Ember Celica. Haven't heard from him since either." Blake mumbled, before silently adding, "And I'm glad for it..."

"Eh, doesn't matter really." Wrath sighed, completely missing Blake's extra little statement. "With the Burning Legion invading I'm sure anyone still alive in Remnant has come to the conclusion that division means death in the face of the demons."

Blake nodded slowly. "I hope so..."

* * *

On the bottom floor of the castle, in one of the many twisting hallways that made up the massive structure, a white haired girl strolled around aimlessly. When she had first reawakened from the incident at meeting a month ago to say that she was overwhelmed was a rather gross understatement.

No one could blame her though, after all she had not exactly been given the most gentle of greetings upon arriving on Azeroth. Unless of course one counted werewolves as gentle.

Unfortunately this did little to curb her usual attitude, as displayed when the very creature that had first greeted her in such a unique way accidentally bumped aganst her shoulder in the hallway, causing the heiress to nearly fall on her behind from the force of the blow. Ravarth probably had not even noticed the contact, but damn if she was not going to make him aware!

"Hey! _Watch it_!" She yelled as she spun around to face the Worgen.

"What was that?" Ravarth growled lowly as he glanced back at the heiress with a burning in his eyes. From the very moment that they met he had developed a special loathing of the prissy self-entitled girl. Sure, she was smart and ceratinly not hard on the eyes, he would give her that, however the moment she opened her mouth it was a much different story.

"I said watch where you're going you _dumb mutt_! There's pleanty of hallway space, so use it!" She replied, spreading her arms out as if to display just how much space was present, earning another growl of annoyance from Ravarth for her actions.

Oh how he looked forward to what he had to tell her.

"How about this?" He began in a pleasant tone, before rushing up, stopping only when his face was inches away from Weiss' with his teeth bared. "Why don't you stop acting like you own the ground we stand on, _ignorant bitch_!"

Weiss however did not back away, even when Ravarth's mouth began to open, more prominently displaying a garden of jagged dagger-like teeth. "I'm a _Schnee_! I might as _well_ own it! You're just-..."

"Your new commanding officer."

You could practically hear a pin drop.

"...What?"

"Oh you weren't informed?" Ravarth asked with fake concern as he backed off and grinned evilly. "Well let me fill you in. You've been assigned to serve under me with the rest of my squad during the counter invasion to retake your homeland. So unless you want to be stuck on point I'd learn a touch of respect for your superiors ' _Schnee_ '..."

"Y-... You can't be _serious_!" Weiss cried out after a few moments.

Ravarth could only laugh heartily in response. That sure as hell put her in her place. "As a heart attack!"

"Who the _heck_ authorized _that_?!"

* * *

"You think Weiss will be annoyed I partnered her up with Ravarth?" Ruby asked as she gazed over towards Anduin, who was leaning against the wall, reading from a large leather-bound tome.

"I'm sure they'll be fine. You spoke highly of your teammate after all." The Prince reasoned, marking the book before closing it and setting it aside on a nearby desk. "I'm sure if they end up in a bad spot out in the field they'll be able to set aside their differences."

"Yeah, you're probably right!" Ruby chirped before turning back to a small stand where a small brush along with a paintwell filled with black paint rested. After dipping the brush into the paintwell the reaper turned back to a small white drape of cloth hung loosely, running the brush along the fabric where the design of a lion head was beginning to form.

"Well as much as I'd love to stay here and talk, I should get going. I'm expected at a meeting with delegates from the Horde regarding the counter offensive." Anduin said with a sigh, before making his way slowly for the doorway. "They've been informed of the two pronged Legion invasion and have agreed to throw their forces into the fray. They already have an army en-route."

"An army?"

"Yes... Normally that would easily be taken as an act of open war but..." Anduin hesitated for a moment, part of him honestly still in disbelief that a Horde army traveling to Stormwind was considered a good thing. "Well let's just say both Father and I are thankful for this subversion of normal diplomatic channels for once. It may just be what'll give us the advantage in the upcoming battles."

"Well good luck! I gotta finish this thing before we leave." Ruby replied, continuing to carefully paint the design of a lion had onto the cloak. Or at least as carefully as she could. Honestly she would just be glad if at the end it did not look as if a toddler had painted it.

"Yes. It's coming along rather well by the way." Anduin complimented with a smile before opening the doorway, stepping through it and closing it behind him so quickly that Ruby was barely able to catch his farewell. "Until later my dear."

"Bye!" She called out in response. Anduin's footsteps disappeared soon after, fading into obscurity in a matter of seconds.

After a few more minutes of work, Ruby heard the door open once more.

" _Wow_... That's very... _White_." Yang's voice echoed throughout the room, prompting Ruby to glance back to find her sister standing at the entrance of the room staring in awe and slight confusion at the white robe hanging in front of her younger sister like a skinned hide.

Ruby giggled and set the brush down on the desk, examining the work she had done so far. So far only the main outlines were comlete. Hopefully she would be able to finish by invasion day. "I know. Ravarth was telling me how wearing Alliance colors will help the knights and other men identify me since I'll be leading them."

"Leading huh?"

"Yup! Had to practically beg Ravarth to let me keep the black and red for my combat skirt." Ruby laughed. She had even tried bribing the Worgen with cookies. He had said no. The cookie hating _jerk_. "Anduin told him to let me after a while. Said that a lion pattern on the back of the cape would do just fine."

"Well what are you waiting for?" Yang asked, and upon recieving a confused tilt of the head from Ruby, rolled her eyes exaggeratedly. "Try it on!"

"Alright alright!"

Soon, the cloak that Ruby had spent the last few hours decorating was now wrapped around her lithe frame, with her hood, which was up, hiding all but her face to the world.

"Heh.. Wow Rubes... You look just like Mom in that..." Yang pointed out as she took in Ruby's appearance as they both stared into a nearby mirror.

"Yeah. I guess I do." Ruby replied softly with a sad smile. It was silent for a few moments before Ruby spoke up once more. "Do you think she's proud of us? Like... What we've done?"

"Of course she is." Yang said, glancing over at her younger sister in confusion. That was the first time Ruby had ever asked something like that. "Why wouldn't she be?"

"Well she never wanted us to become huntresses..." Ruby pointed out with a small shrug. It was a thought that drifted through her mind from time to time. But now? Now she knew it could not be avoided. After all, they were about to embark on the most dangerous adventure of their lives. "Do you think she would be disappointed we didn't listen to her?"

"Hey, you're about to go save the _freakin' world_ sis! I don't think she would've been _able_ to be more proud of ya!" Yang answered with a toothy grin that seemed to brighten up the room, along with her sister who let a hopeful smile crawl onto her face.

"You think?"

"Of course!" She insisted, giving her younger sister a small push on the shoulder before suddenly perking up as she remembered something rather important. "Oh by the way Rubes, check this out!"

Yang then spun around on her heel, giving Ruby a clear view of the base of her back, along with the purple phoenix tattoo that now covered the felscar that had once marred her skin. "Woah, Yang is that _real_?!"

"Yuppers!"

"But Dad told us _no tattoos_!" Ruby reminded her older sister. Their father had been very specific about how he felt about the two trying to get tattoos when they had first left home in order to attend Beacon, and Ruby was sure that opinion would still stand strong.

"Eh... He doesn't have to know right away." Yang shrugged, as if she had just brought an extra loaf of bread instead of forever marking her skin. "Besides, I had a scar, had to cover it up with something!"

"I know about the scar but..." Ruby trailed off for a moment before letting out a small sigh with an innocent smirk that snuck onto her face. "You are gonna be _so_ dead when we get home, you know that right?"

"I told you, we'll deal with that bridge when we come to it!" Yang laughed, leaning against the wall while Ruby shook her head and began to remove the cloak. "So, you think Dad's okay?"

"Knowing Dad? He's probably making dinner out of whatever's tried to set foot in our house." She giggled as she began to fold up the cloak. Their father was never someone who spent time seeking out fights, but if one came to him then he would be more than ready to accept it head on.

"Good point." Yang nodded, waiting for a few moments before she backed towards the door once more. "And speaking of dinner, I'm gonna head downstairs. I heard we're having a seafood buffet tonight."

"Alright, I'll be down soon." Ruby replied as Yang hurried out of the door and down the hall, leaving the reaper alone once more.

When she was sure Yang was long gone, Ruby glanced down at the robe and let a small sad smile flash on her face, her eyes misting up as old memories began running through her mind.

"Is Yang right?..." Ruby whispered, staring down at the white cloak, which she gripped like a lifeline. "Are you proud of me Mom?..."

* * *

One week after that night, on the normally bustling docks of Stormwind, and army thousands strong stood in haunting silence, all turned towards the great open sea, which was glistening in the soft amber morning sun. A mocking sign of peace that would no doubt be shattered in the coming hours when they took the fight to the Legion.

On the horizon, a large fleet of warships and carriers began to appear one by one, all carrying the black and red flag of the Horde, and all headed straight for the city docks.

Many soldiers standing on the docks began to shift around nervously as the ships reached cannon range, their hands tightening on the handles of their weapons. Only a few years prior, the sight of such a massive armada would no doubt have signaled the beginning of a terrible battle between the two factions.

Now? Now it would still end in battle, only with a much more ruthless foe, who did not know the meaning of honor.

As the ships each began to pull into dock, the soldiers of the Alliance watched tense as the warriors of the Horde began disembarking from the carriers, amassing on the other side of the docks.

Anduin however seemed unfazed by the gathering, and strolled right into the middle of the gathering between the two factions. Glancing around he noticed a pile of wooden shipping crates. With a silent nod he climbed up onto the top of the boxes, with Ruby following him up soon afterwards, standing next to him with Cresent Rose already in it's scythe mode.

Blake and Weiss soon made their way over as well, standing at the side of the platform. Both of their weapons were drawn, with Blake's glowing a bright blue thanks to the runes that had been forged onto it.

Ravarth and his squad also moved up, though they chose to mingle in with the crowd of Horde races, obviously either unafraid or just used to the precense of the intimidadting Horde warriors.

"Warriors of the Horde and Heroes of the Alliance! Hear my voice!" Anduin suddenly called out, his voice cutting through the tense silence like a sword of Light through the mists. "Long have we struggled fruitlessly against each other, scoffing at the idea of peace! But now, now that very ideal that we have exodised for so long is at risk of vanishing _forever_! The Legion has finally made their move, and they give no quarter to those who oppose them. They create a wave of destruction and misery wherever they tread!"

One human soldier, no older than Anduin himself, took a glance around him before he raised his sword and softly began tapping the blade against the face of his shield.

An Orc warrior glanced over at the human soldier and gave a grin of pride before doing the same, slamming his gauntlet against the face of his massive battle-axe.

"If left unchecked they will strip away all that we hold dear! They already have a foothold in Azeroth, and have set their forces upon yet another planet as well! A planet that is slowly losing their grip on hope!" Anduin glacned around him and saw the two soldiers, giving them a nod before continuing. "...And today, we will show them that the hope they still hold is not in vain!"

More soldiers of both the Alliance and Horde began beating weapons against their shields or on the ground. Slowly but surely the entirety of the docks began to ring out in the cries of weapons and shields.

"We will show them that they do not stand alone against the darkness! That there is a force stronger than the demons who defile their lands!" Anduin slammed his foot against the crate which he stood on, while Ruby drew her hood over her head and chambered a round into Cresent Rose. "We will show them that their shattered lives can still be repaired! That they can fight back!"

Mages that had been waiting nearby began to create massive portals on the side of small ships that swirled violently, ready to accept any who would walk into it's maw.

"We will show the Legion that we will not roll over and die! We will show them that we are not bugs to be trampled! We will show them just how wrong they are about us!" Anduin paused for a moment as he reached over to his waist and drew the sword which hung from his belt. "And we begin _NOW_!"

Roars and yells began to echo above the clatter of weapons, the soldier of both the Alliance and Horde yelling for retribution and bloodlust. The call to arms. The battle cry of the Light.

"Hear me... As I utter the words that shall ring across the cosmos, for any world still standing against the burning shadow!... That they may hear these words... And know that they do not fight alone!..." Anduin held his sword aloft, the blade glinting brightly in the morning sunlight.

"The Legion... _Will_... _FALL_!"

Only a moment after his last word was uttered did both Anduin and Ruby leap off of their platform and charge into the portal as roars begin to overwhelm the dockyards. The armies of Azeorth followed the Prince close behind, charging with their blades drawn into the portals as well, ready to face whatever hell lay on the other side.

They would win. They had to.

* * *

On a small stone outcropping overlooking the docks, the statue of a lion sat, proudly watching as the combined forces of Azeroth charged into the portals. On the lions paw, both Wrath and Varian sat, watching with small smiles on their faces.

"He's going to make an excellent king one day Varian." Wrath said as he watched the armies continue to flood into the portal, with not one face holding the slightest hint of doubt.

Any doubt that had once been was now gone, thanks to the words of the Prince.

"Yes... He will..." Varian agreed, tightening his grip on a small golden locket which rested in his gauntlet. "...Especially with his queen at his side..."

"Hey Varian." An elf who had also been standing nearby spoke up. She was dressed in red leather armor, with her hood covering all except for her face and a blonde ponytail, along with two daggers resting at her side. "The rest of the Horde's forces are gathered a few miles out to sea. We're scheduled to meet them in a day, you might want to get ready, you know, so the ships _don't_ leave without us."

"Thank you Valeera, we'll be back at the castle soon enough." Varian chuckled softly, shaking his head at the elf's words.

"You got it. I'll see you both there." The elf, Valeera, replied before sauntering off up the stairs and into the main city.

Varian waited a few moments, only until he was sure the elf was out of sight before he let the smile fall from his face once more, replaced by a somber frown. "... _Wrath_..."

"Hmm?" Wrath glanced over at his name being called, only to find a small box the side of a child's fist held out before him.

"...I need you to promise me something..."

* * *

 **And there you have it! Chapter done! Hopefully I'll be able to get back to my normal writing schedule now that the chaos is calming down for a bit! A one-shot about how Anduin and Wrath met will be out in just a few days! Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!**


	15. Chapter 15: This is War

**Alright! I got this chapter out much faster than I anticipated I would! Awome! There isn't too much to say this time. I'm still working on the one-shot, so it should be out soon enough!**

 **Raging Archon: Oh believe me, there will be quite a bit of havoc in this chapter! And we definitely haven't seen the last of Varimas' demon friend! And as for Cinder. Who knows. She may just be dead.**

 **Novice4129: Don't you worry! There will totally be survivors! Honest! Also I'm sure I'll end up writing it very soon! And you never know, maybe a kingdom ruled by a queen obbsessed with baked goods wouldn't be so bad! Right France?**

 **So... Without further ado... LET'S GO GAME OF THRONES ON THIS B*TCH!**

* * *

This is War

* * *

The first few seconds after the portal on Remnant opened was complete chaos. The combined forces of the Alliance and Horde flooded through the streets in a matter of seconds, a wave of roaring steel and flesh that clogged up the avenues and courtyards of the city, running down any demon they found.

The Legion was quick to recover from the sudden surprise however, rallying together before the combined Alliance and Horde forces could make it more than a few blocks in any direction. From every side the demons began to fire back upon the invading forces, sending globs of Felfire into the Azerothian ranks.

From out of the portal a female Orc warrior garbed in ornamental warlord plate armor ran, charging over to a pile of rubble that stood above the chaos, hoisting up a Horde warbanner and sticking it into the rubble pile with a loud grunt.

When she was sure the banner would not falter she turned back to the portal where rows of bowmen were lining up, preparing to fire.

"Archers! Provide covering fire for the Ma-..." The female Orc's words were transformed into incoherent gurgles as a demonic arrow lodged itself between the crack of her shoulder plates and helmet and into her neck. She fell to the ground without another sound, disappearing into the sea of fighting that surrounded the rubble outcropping.

"Shields! _Shields up_!" A Forsaken Mage, obviously the leader of the spell casters, ordered. A moment later he and a handful of other robed men and women all began to chant in some strange language, twirling their hands about in a circle as balls of arcane energy began to form between their palms.

With a glance to the other members, the mages all nodded before launching their hands up into the air, sending the spheres of arcane energy into the sky. When they were around a hundred feet in the air the spheres suddenly exploded outwards, rapidly forming a shell of arcane energy that surrounded the area around the portal.

Amidst the turmoil of the battle surrounding them, the group that had accompanied the army sprinted hurriedly over to the wall of a large building that had somehow escaped the carnage of the Legion's initial invasion, with only minor burn marks covering the walls.

No one had the stomach to point out that more than a few of the burn marks had the outlines of humanoids.

Above the group, missiles of Fel energy slammed loudly against the magical shield, causing everyone to jump as the impacts shook the very ground beneath them, causing small items such as pebbles and discarded bottles to shake and dance.

As the battle continued, the sky itself began to weep, a torrent of rain water suddenly impacting the shield, with a good amount of the water slipping through the small holes temporarily made by the Fel missiles, falling to the troops below.

"Aw man..." Ruby moaned dejectedly as she held up one end of her cloak as she glanced back at the rest of the fabric, a frown on her face. The rain was quickly beginning to wash away the lion emblem she had spent so long on. "I spent all week painting that on..."

"I wouldn't worry about it too much kid. Everyone here saw you standing up there on the boxes with Prince Anduin. They'd be fools to not recognize you." Ravarth muttered as he glanced up at the faltering shield. He did not like being here. They were far too exposed.

"You were the one who made me wear the cape in the first place!"

Suddenly, as if the universe felt like messing with Ravarth's theory, a bolt of fel-energy impacted against the shield, ripping through the arcane barrier, sailing past the group only to incinerate a charging human soldier, leaving only his charred helmet and sword behind.

"Now's not the time to get hung up on details!" Ravarth cried out as another bolt of energy suddenly flew over their heads, creating a large crater in the ground only a few meters away from them.

"No arguments here!"

"Quickly! _Inside_!" Anduin ordered, pointing towards the open door of the building.

Everyone was quick to head into the building, hastily making their way to the far wall so that they could observe the battle with one extra layer of protection between them and the missiles the Legion launched against the Azerothian armies.

"Alright..." Anduin, who was rubbing Ruby's shoulders, presumably in an effort to keep her warm, began as he glanced around the room at the other occupants. "We need to think of a plan of attack."

"A plan?" Sun asked, leaning against the wall with his staff in hand. "We don't have one yet?"

"The army does, you don't. At least not yet." Anduin clarified, looking over at the monkey faunus. "Your talents would all go to waste on the front lines. They would be much better put to use on more surgical strikes against the Legion. So if anyone has any suggestions then I'd be happy to hear them."

"You still want the priss and I on S'nR duty, right?" Ravarth asked, earning a nod from the prince in response.

Weiss thought to let Ravarth hear a few choice words for that insult, but her intentions quickly shifted to that of silence when another missile shook the frame of the building. The shield sounded as if it was beginning to falter.

"You and I could stay behind and help at the base." Ruby proposed as she glanced up at Anduin. "I'm no good with healing or anything magical like that, but Crescent Rose and I can take out a few long range targets your archers might not be able to nail."

"Alright, that seems fine. It would do the troops around the base good to see you fighting alongside them, even if it is just long distance combat." Anduin replied with a calm smile. Sure, what he said was true, but in all honesty he was just glad Ruby did not want to go and fight on the front lines.

"Sun and I will head for Beacon. If there're any leftover dust caches for emergency use, then they'll be in the school's basement." Blake proposed, causing everyone aside from Ravarth and Anduin to stare at the ninja with wide eyes, with Sun even sticking a finger in his ear to see if there was any earwax that had muddled what his ex had said.

"Are you sure that's the best course of action? After all, we aren't yet aware of just how well dug in the Legion is in that section of the city." Anduin warned, not quite picking up the true reason as to why everyone was so shocked at Blake's plan.

"It doesn't matter. If we don't gather enough dust then survivors won't have enough power to fight back." Blake reasoned, crossing her arms as she continued. "And if we bring back enough, your worlds scientists might be able to magically reproduce the conditions needed to create it. That would be a major advantage for us."

"It cannot be helped then I suppose..." Anduin sighed. She was correct; if they could somehow replicate dust on Azeroth, it would no doubt be a major boost for both planets. "Come back safely. Wrath will surely attempt to skin me alive if you end up getting hurt."

Blake felt her face heat up slightly, though quickly made to hide it by turning to Sun with a serious expression to mask her embarrassment. "Come on. We should move while its still dark."

"After you."

They were soon both dashing past the safety of the shield, climbing onto rooftops above the Legion's forces, dodging axes and spears as they ran, disappearing into the night.

After both faunus were gone, the rest of the group opted to leave the safety of the building. It was becoming obviously that the structure was not nearly as stable as they had previously thought, for whenever a particularly large bolt of Fel energy impacted against the shield and shook the ground, the building would groan in protest.

Deciding that their chances were better outside of the potentially unsound building, the group soon found themselves in a small patch of trees atop a rather steep hill, where elven archers were firing upon the Legion's forces, picking off any demons that dared to attempt to venture inside of the shield.

"Wow... I've never seen Vale like this before..." Ruby whispered solemnly as her silver eyes gazed down at the burning remains of what was once the grand city she considered a second home with misty eyes. "Even back when Cinder..."

Weiss nodded slowly as she imitated her teammate's actions. "Yeah..."

Whatever direction the two huntresses looked, the sight they were greeted with was the same. Vale, a smoldering shell of it's former self, with some buildings still burning brightly in the night sky, like candles floating upon an endless abyss of destruction.

As Ruby and Weiss continued to stare longingly out at their destroyed home, a night elf archer who had been firing upon the Legion's forces glanced over at the two.

"Your Majesty, why does Elune not bless your night skies?" The archer asked, setting her bow down upon the ground, while Ruby turned around and gave the elf an embarrassed chuckle.

"Oh you don't have to call me that, I'm not a-... _Wait what_?" Ruby stopped cold and shot her gaze towards the night sky, her eyes widening as she realized that there was something very important missing among the twinkling stars.

" _No_... There's no way..." Weiss whispered, voicing Ruby's thoughts. "Where's the moon?!"

"D-... Did the Legion destroy it?" Ruby turned to Anduin only to find, to her surprise, that Anduin seemed much less astounded by the sudden disappearance of the celestial body than the rest of the group.

"No, they would have no interest in the moon." Anduin replied, gazing up at the night sky with his arms folded across his chest. "After all, there was no life on your moon, which takes it off the table as a viable military target. It wouldn't be worth their time."

Anduin's brow creased as he continued to stare, as if hoping the stars would provide him with the answered he desired. Something definitely was not right here.

"So then what happened?" Weiss asked, pointing at the void where the semi-shattered moon of Remenant once floated proudly. "Moons don't just go ' _poof_ ' for no reason!"

"Doesn't matter. The disappearance of the moon can wait, this battle can't." Ravarth spoke up, seizing the heiress by the scruff of her blouse. "Let's move Schnee! We're on survivor search and rescue duty!"

"In all that?! Are you _nuts_?!"

"I said _MOVE YOUR ASS_!"

"Yes sir!..."

The two melded into the chaos of battle soon after, joining up with the rest of Ravarth's squad before charging the demon forces head on, blending into the bright flashes of magic and steel that dominated Vale's streets.

"See Ruby? They're getting along." Anduin muttered as he watched the fencer and the Worgen wade into battle, though from what little he could see it was mainly just Ravarth yelling at her while she ignored him. "...Sort of..."

The night elf, who had since taken back up her bow, spoke up once more. "My Prince, it would be best for you and Lady Rose to take shelter behind the vanguard out of enemy range! This shield will not hold forever!"

"I'm sorry, but I won't just abandon-..."

"Worry not for us, we will not fall to these beasts!" The night elf interrupted, letting loose an arrow into the battle. Had she hit a demon? She was not sure, she may have even ended up hitting a Horde soldier. Oh well, just one less problem to deal with after the Legion was ousted.

"...Very well. Use the cannons to push back the brunt of the Legion's forces and attempt establish a base-camp in that tower." Anduin relented with a sigh. Putting his hand on Ruby's shoulder he continued. "Ruby and I will take up a better vantage position near the portal so that we have a better scope of the battle!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

"May the Light protect you..." Anduin muttered quietly before he turned to walk back down the hill.

Ruby was about to follow the Prince, however just before doing so, turned around and gave the archer a friendly wave and a night smile, filled with it's usual innocence that seemed so out of place on the battlefield. The archer stared at the reaper for a moment, surprised, but recovered quickly and calmly smiled and waved back, watching as Ruby ran to catch up to Anduin.

Once she was sure Ruby was gone the archer let the smile slip from her face before she spun around and gazed up at the sky, absent of its celestial body. "Mother Moon... Why have you abandoned these poor despondent souls in their most desperate hour of need?..."

She received only the dim twinkle of stars in response.

* * *

"So... I gotta pick your brain." Sun said as he and Blake strolled down one of the many abandoned streets that lead to Beacon. When Blake gave him no response he continued with a shrug. "Why'm I coming with you to get the dust? Why didn't you take Ruby?"

"Because you're stronger. You can carry more than Weiss and Ruby combined."

"You sure it's not for ' _other reasons_ '?" Sun joked, leaning towards the other faunus with a playful grin on his face.

"No. It's not." Blake replied, making it a point to side step away from her ex as he attempted to narrow the space between them. "You've got more muscle mass, simple as that. If Wrath was here, believe me I would have asked him."

"Yeah about that... What is he to you anyways?"

"Does it _matter_?"

"Well no I just..." Sun shrugged once more, realizing he was not really too aware of why he was asking. It was painfully obvious what they were. Perhaps he just needed to hear it from Blake herself. "I dunno. Just curious."

"Wrath and I... Are..." Blake paused for a moment. "I'm not sure... I'm not sure what we are. I have an idea, but I can't be certain."

Sun's eyes widened at this. That was surprising to hear. From the way they behaved around each other he was almost sure that they were a thing. "Oh. I thought you two were like-..."

"I just told you, _I'm not sure_." Blake interrupted with a roll of her eyes.

"Well..." How could he go about this? Insulting Wrath would probably only result in Blake's continued hostility, and another joke would probably end the conversation right then and there. Eventually he settled with the good old fashioned compliment. "He seems like a good guy."

"Better than _you_ were." Blake said in a monotone fashion as she quickened her pace until she was a good few feet in front of her fellow faunus.

Sun winced at that one. "Alright, come on Blake! That's a low blow!"

"It's the truth."

"...I know it is..." Sun let out a large puff of air from his lungs as he ran his fingers through his spiky blonde hair, the soot and ash on his gloves turning the golden locks grey as they made contact with the glove. "But you don't gotta be so harsh about it..."

"I have the right to be as harsh as I want."

"Yeah, you do... _Look_..." Sun increased his pace in order to catch up with his ex, placing his hand on Blake's shoulder. She, of course, pulled away from the contact, though surprisingly did not try to regain her lead over Sun. "I'm sorry okay?..."

Blake remained silent.

"I know what I did was low, and I'm not going to try to ask you to forgive me. I get that you probably never will. I get I fucked up something great, and I feel like an idiot every time I think about it..." Sun sighed, folding his arms behind his head as they strode on through the streets. "But I hate the fact that you're treating me like someone you don't even know!"

"Why wouldn't I?" Blake asked, not even bothering to glance at Sun.

"Because you're a better person than that."

Blake stopped cold in her tracks.

"Like I said, I'm not asking for you to take me back, I get that you've moved on." Sun acknowledged. "But this cold shoulder is getting old! I miss my friend! I miss just cramming into team JNPR's dorm and watching stupid horror movies until 4 in the morning! I miss training with you all and watching Nora smack Jaune around the room like a ping-pong ball! Most of all I miss just being able to hang out with you all for no reason... Just because we could..."

"Why did you leave then?..."

"Because I just felt tied down." Sun admitted. He had wanted to say this all back when the two had first separated. Hell, he had even tried! But Blake would not listen to a word he said back then. Honestly, he was not sure she would listen even now. "Don't get me wrong... You were a great girlfriend, but I just wasn't ready to be in a serious relationship yet..."

"Why wouldn't you just tell me that then?" Blake said, finally turning to look at Sun. When she did he noticed that her eyes were no longer filled with hate. Just.. Confusion, and hurt. "Why did you have to drag me through the relationship thinking something would come out of it?"

"Because you just... You finally looked so dang happy. I mean you were finally coming out of your shell and I-..." Sun cut himself off for a moment as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I just didn't wanna fuck that up..."

"So you just thought you had a right to lie to me until you got bored? Is that it?"

"Back then?... _Yeah_. I guess I did." Sun admitted. It certainly was far from easy to do so. Carefree as he might be, he still valued his pride, but right now salvaging what he could of his past friendship outweighed his ego by leaps and bounds. "But I see that was stupid now, ok?"

Blake said nothing in response, prompting Sun to continue.

"You're right about one thing. Wrath is better for you..." He said, though with a small laugh he quickly added, "Even if he is one of the strangest people I've ever met."

Blake rolled her eyes. She kind of had to agree with him there.

"Can we just start all this over? Have a clean slate?" Sun asked as he held out his hand towards what was once his love. "Even if we never talk again after all this is over. I'd just sleep better at night knowing I righted one wrong in my life."

Blake gazed down at Sun's hand. She had to admit, even though he had wronged her, even though he had left her in the dust, part of her still felt the slightest twinge of sympathy for her ex.

With a small nod of her head Blake seized Sun's hand and gave it a shake. " _Fine_."

With that done, the two friends turned back to their destination and continued down the ruined streets of Vale. Perhaps their friendship would never be one that Blake could fall back on, perhaps it was destined to be fleeting like a feather on the wind.

But at least they could call themselves friends once more.

"So... You think Velvet's available?"

 _WHACK_!

" _OW_! I was just asking!"

...As long as Sun kept his comments to himself.

* * *

" _Push up_! We can't afford to get bogged down here!" Ravarth cried over the overwhelming rumble of battle, dodging a ball of Fel-fire that had no doubt been meant for him, only to strike another soldier following the Worgen closely behind, vaporizing the human as he fell to the ground, screaming in agony.

It had started rather well all things considered. The initial charge had gone over well, thanks mostly to the Horde's force of Tauren and Orcs leading the charge like walls of armor and flesh. Unfortunately they were quickly cut down by the superior numbers of the Legion, which lead to whatever forces had managed to survive to cower behind cover, taking pot-shots with various spells and arrows as the demons drew ever closer.

Turns out the priss was more useful than he had first chalked her up to be. After all, she was one of the few in the search and rescue team still 'standing', albeit on shaky legs.

She had been able to handle quite a few demons singlehandedly, Myrtenaster piercing through the armor of the demons like a knife sliding through butter and here runes blasting back the Fel-Grimm before they could even hope to get close.

Unfortunately everyone runs out of energy eventually, which is why Ravarth was now stuck with hauling the heiress around on his back while she continued to fire runes from atop his back whenever they found an opportunity to spring between cover.

From another section of rubble a few meters ahead of Ravarth and Weiss a young soldier let out a whistle, grabbing the attention of the Worgen. When Ravarth poked his head above cover to look at the soldier the young man cupped his hands to his mouth and yelled out towards the Worgen.

"Sir, with respect, we need to find another way around! We aren't going to last a minute out here without a-..." The soldier was cut off as a demonic spear ripped through his cuirass and stomach, before flinging him back to Ravarth and Weiss's position, his body slamming against the rubble near the destroyed section of wall, causing an unhealthy amount of blood to spray from his open stomach like a water balloon that had sprung a leak.

He began screaming and flailing about like a fish the moment he touched the ground, his entire body twitching about erratically as he began to enter shock in order to cope with the sudden blood loss.

Weiss felt bile rising in her throat as she stared at the soldier's intestines hanging out in the open air for the world to see like some grotesque art display.

Ravarth meanwhile, leapt from cover and seized the young man by his arms, dragging the soldier over before laying him none to softly against the gravel, which would no doubt present an issue later if the wound decided to become infected.

Weiss soon recognized the young soldier as the one who first started beating his sword and shield. The one that so resembled Anduin.

The one that could not have been any older than her.

"Don't look at it kid!" Ravarth ordered as he pressed his hands against the wound. There was no way he could close this with cloth or even string. He needed a healer. Now. "It's _fine_! Just don't look at it!"

"Please make it stop! _MAKE IT STOP_!" The young man screeched, his arms twitching as he uselessly attempted to reach for his open gut.

"Just _shut up_! You're going to be fine!"

"I wanna go _home_!..." Tears were beginning to stream down the soldiers face, though Ravarth was much too busy with the wound itself to notice them.

"You'll be back in Stormwind tonight! Just stay st-..." Ravarth's statement was cut short as a massive bolt of shadow energy exploded next to the three, sending them all back a good few meters.

When Weiss was, after nearly a minute of struggling, able to pull herself back to into a kneeling position she was greeted with the sight of Ravarth tossing the body of the young soldier off to the side, with a good section of the upper portion of his body missing, blown to oblivion.

" _Shit_..." Ravarth muttered as he ran over and grabbed Weiss, jumping behind a wall of rubble just as another large blast of fel-fire ripped through the street, coating everything it touched in it's sickening green glow.

Once he was sure that the felfire had passed, Ravarth glanced over to his side in order to assess any potential damage to him or Weiss, only see a soldier holding a small prayer necklace, muttering nearly silent prays to himself.

" _Soldier_! What are you doing?!"

"Light protect me... Light please protect me... Light protect-..." The knight was soon blown out of his cover by another blast that hits the section of building he had been hiding behind.

His screams soon began to fill the air, as his comrades had before him. When Weiss looked over at the man she soon saw why.

Both of his legs and most of his hip were completely blown off, with the contents of his torso spilling out behind him as he began screaming bloody murder, both cursing at and praying to whatever god would listen to his haggard shrieks of agony.

"Please stop..." Weiss muttered as her entire body began shaking in both exhaustion and terror, the tears streaming down her face clouding her vision. "Stop screaming... _Please_..."

As if by fate however, instead of ceasing his screams, the soldier turned his head over to the side, Weiss coming into his view. With another sob of pain the man reached a shaky hand, coated in a thick slime-like coating of his own blood and bile, out in her direction.

"Please stop struggling..." Weiss whimpered as she began to crawl backwards, her back pressing against Ravarth's side.

The soldier attempted to reach out to Weiss one last time only to be hit by a large demonic axe that sliced through his shoulder and neck, killing him before his arm even fell to the ground.

The demons surround Weiss and Ravarth only moments later.

* * *

After nearly another half hour of walking, along with a small boat ride on a not-so-sturdy dingy, Blake and Sun finally managed to make their way to the courtyard of Beacon Academy, which was now only a ruined shell of it's former self.

No longer a shining light of humanity, the school now stood smoking and abandoned, it's walls that had stood for so long fracturing against the onslaught of the Legon's initial attack.

Corpses of students littered the grounds where the two faunus dared to turn their gaze. They were long dead now, with some with faces still twisted in shock and pain, with others holding friends and loved ones, no doubt refusing to leave their side until the bitter end and beyond.

" _Dang_... I never thought I'd see Beacon like this ever again." Sun muttered as he and Blake stepped over the bodies of team CRML, only some of the countless to fall that day. "Guess Miss ' _Blow Up The Festival_ ' has been outclassed huh?"

"Let's just hope they didn't find the dust stores." Blake replied, her grip on Gambol Shroud tightening as she scanned the courtyard for any signs of life. "Because without it I'm not sure how many survivors we'll be able to bring back in one piece... If there _are_ any..."

They quickly made their way inside of the main building, neither wishing to remain outside in the presence of their rotting classmates any longer.

Unfortunately the interior of the school was not much better. Even the hallways were littered with the decaying corpses of what were once young and proud huntsmen and huntresses, savagely cut down in their prime.

Suddenly, without warning, Blake and Sun both suddenly froze on the spot, scanning the room as Blake's ears twitched rapidly.

"Hey do you hear that?..." Blake asked, scanning the hallways warily as she shifted Gambol Shroud into it's gun form, taking aim down the hallway towards the lobby, ready for whatever should dare should to show it's face.

"Yeah... It sounds like... _Groaning_!" Sun exclaimed as he cautiously stepped towards the lobby, with Blake only a few feet behind.

"I think it's coming from over there." Blake said as she pointed over at the pile of student bodies in the building lobby.

Both faunus took a quick scan of the area, affirming that there were no threats ready to get the jump on them before they ran over to the pile of dead students, covering their noses at the stench of rotting flesh.

Just as Sun was about to speak up, no doubt a joke about the odor in the room, the monkey faunus froze once more as his eyes picked up the slightest hint of movement from the pile of bodies near one of the pillars that surrounded the lobby.

Quickly running over to the source of the movent, Sun and Blake both began to dig through the corpse pile, steeling their stomachs as they grasped the guts of the bodies more than once from wounds that were large enough for organs to begin spilling out.

After what felt like an eternity of digging, Sun spotted something that made his heart stop for a moment. It was his teammate and friend, Sage, leaning limply against the pillar, his large sword still clutched in his hand, the knuckles white from tension. Or possibly blood loss. It was too difficult to tell.

" _Sage_?!" Sun cried in horror, only for that horror to be replaced by relief and excitement when Sage slowly but surely pried his eyes open, a tired smile appearing on the swordsman's face when he recognized his leader.

"Sun?... Is that you?..."

"Yeah, it's me! Oh _holy cow_ am I glad you're alive!" Sun exclaimed as he pried Sage's blade out of his hand. It took him more than one try. His fingers were secured in a death-grip to the hilt of the blade like a vice. "What the hell _happened_ here man?!"

"We... We came from Haven to help the Huntsmen and Huntresses still trying to hold Vale..." Sage coughed, a splotch of blood flying onto the floor.

"They sent you guys?!" Sun cried, his eyes displaying the confusion and anger also laced within his words. "What, are they crazy?! This is like hell on Remnant!"

"We figured we could meet up with you and the Beacon students and put an end to this quickly... Just like-... Just like we did with Cinder..." Sage sighed and let his eyes drift closed. "We had no idea it'd be like _this_..."

"Why hasn't Atlas intervened? I thought that they would've jumped at the opportunity to use their armies!" Sun asked, checking for any major wounds on his teammate.

"Atlas?... They tried to help but..." Sage let out a dry heave that could passed for a laugh if his chest had not spasmed from the pain. "They're _gone_. Wiped off the face of the map... We haven't had contact with anyone from that corner of the world for weeks now... Their communication tower was probably blown to high hell..."

"There's no way... They have the most powerful military in the world! They wouldn't just roll over without a fight!" Sun replied. He and everyone else knew that after the Vytal Festival, Atlas had decided that having a strong military was more important than ever. So why had they still lost?

"They didn't... Most of the Atlesian military was sent over to Vale when the demons first attacked..." Sage explained, his breathing becoming more ragged with each word he uttered. "They didn't count on the demons going after their kingdom at the same time..."

Sun and Blake glanced at each other and frowned. Even after all of their improvements to their military, such a powerful nation had still been beaten so easily by the Legion. Almost without any real fight by the sounds of it.

Just as it seemed as if the bad news could not pile on any further, Sage said something that made Sun's stomach turn. "Neptune and Scarlet... They were taken as hostages by the demons..."

" _Hostages_?!... Do you know where they took them?!..."

"...No... I'm-..." Sage coughed up another large glob of vicious red blood that stained the floor below him. He could no longer keep his eyes open. It was too much. It was just all too much. "I'm sorry..."

"Don't be stupid man. You've got nothing to be sorry for... Just hold on and we'll-..." Sun trailed off when he saw his teammates eyes drift close and the breath leave his lungs, replaced by shallow gasps as his body clung to the last threads of life. "Sage? _Sage_?..."

He lay still.

"Sage... Please don't do this man... Come on, you would never let some demon jerks kill you..." Sun said as he began to gently shale Sage, hoping against hope that doing so would somehow awaken his fallen teammate. "Come on, please wake up... Please..."

Blake got on her knees next to the two huntsmen, pressing the tips of her index and middle fingers against the crook of Sage's neck, closing her eyes for a moment until she felt what she was looking for.

"Sun, it's alright. I feel a pulse." Blake said, causing Sun to look up at the ninja. "He's still alive, but only barely."

"What?! _Really_?!..."

Blake pulled herself to her feet while Sun felt for the pulse in Sage himself, cracking a tired but relieved smile when he did confirm that there was indeed still a faint pulse. "You need to get him back to the portals, right now. He'll live if he's given medical attention in time."

"B-but what about the dust caches?"

"I'll handle that, you save your teammate."

"... _Thank you_!" Sun cried happily as he slung the fallen form of his teammate over his shoulder. Taking one last glance back at Blake he began to back up towards the entrance as he called out, "I promise I'll come back for you as soon as I can!"

Sun ran out a moment later, leaving his ex alone among the fallen of Beacon.

Blake watched Sun leave silently before she turned and ventured deeper into the school, stepping over bodies as she strode.

* * *

Ravarth let out a small grunt of pain as he and Weiss were tossed carelessly to the gravel covered ground by the Fel-lord that had dragged them away from the battlefield after they had, had their hands bound behind their backs with thick rope.

When the Worgen began to take a good look around he saw that they now knelt on what was likely once a city plaza. Now though, cages with corpses or half dead victims rested on the walkways, staining the stone on which they stood red.

Suddenly a chuckle of excitement brought Ravarth's attention above him where a tall and lanky floating demon in a flowing green and black robe was clicking it's long bony fingers together as it presumably methodically scanning both the Worgen and Weiss from head to toe. It was rather hard to tell, as the hood it wore hid any traces of facial features apart from it's grotesque beak-like mouth.

"Oh how _wonderful_! Seems my troops have found me two more toys!" The floating demon exclaimed with sadistic glee as it floated over to the heiress and warrior. "Let me introduce myself... I am an Inquisitor. Ever faithful servant of the Burning Legion, at your service."

Ravarth watched from the corner of his eye as Weiss pulled herself up to her knees next to him.

"As the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, I demand that you release me right this _instant_!" She ordered, causing the Inquisitor to freeze for a moment. This white haired girl certainly had quite the mouth on her did she not?

"Unfortunately, little girl, recognition of your name eludes me, nor does it interest me. And I certainly won't be releasing you based on the stake of your supposedly important family name..." The Inquisitor scoffed. Humans could be so strange. It then turned his attention to Ravarth, leaning towards the Worgen. " _You_ , however, I recognize..."

"Crawl back to whatever corner of hell spit you out..." Ravarth replied, glaring up at the demon, unfazed.

"Ravarth Wolfheart, Knight Lieutenant of the Grand Army of the Alliance... War hero of both Pandaria and Draenor, not to mention the youngest officer to lead his own squad at only _19 years of age_ , though on official documents you list yourself as much older for whatever reason." The Inquisitor chuckled as Ravarth's eye shot wide open at the information being laid before him. "I must say that it is an honor to meet you."

"How do you know all of this?" Ravarth asked, his teeth bared. "Not even the _King_ knows how old I am..."

"I'm an Inquisitor my dear lupine friend!..." The Inquisitor replied with arms outstretched exaggeratedly. Leaning down, the demon then whispered, "I specialize in getting my victims to tell me what I want, no matter how secret."

"Doesn't matter..." Ravarth muttered back, giving the Inquisitor one last glare as the demon backed off to it's original position, towering over both he and Weiss. "Knowing my age will do nothing for you the moment I break these ropes..."

"I see civilized discussion is out of the question for you..." The Inquisitor sighed. These Azerothians could be so disagreeable. At least these Remnant dwellers were courteous enough to scream when they were being interrogated, instead of the rude act this Worgen was flaunting. "Very well, why don't I give you a demonstration instead?"

The Inquisitor then knelt down and took Weiss' chin in it's lanky hand, digging it's claws into her flesh, giving what probably equated to a smile as Weiss began to sob from the pain.

"Don't _touch_ her!..." A voice called out, causing the Inquisitor to remove his claws from Weiss' jaw in order to turn to face it's source. Weiss also took the oppertunity to look over to see who had called out, only to immediately wish that she had not.

There was Neptune hanging like drying meat from one section of the cage, bound to the metal wall by spiked shackles, looking beaten but still glaring defiantly at the demon.

Weiss could not help but to also notice the disfigured corpse of Scarlet also hanging from the cage. Or at least she thought it was. There was no head on the shoulders of the corpse to confirm either way.

"What's this?" The Inquisitor asked as it drifted over to the cage where Neptune was hanging. Reaching out, it cupped Neptune's cheek, ripping away his flesh with it's nails as it spoke. "Seems you have some spunk left in you!... Good, good!..."

The Inquisitor then motioned to the brutish Fel-lord that had first dragged Weiss and Ravarth to the plaza, prompting the larger demon to unlock the cage and pull Neptune off of the wall, ripping his hands off of the wrists in the process, the sound of tearing muscle and bone filling the plaza.

Weiss felt her heart shatter in her chest as Neptune's screams echoed throughout the courtyard.

"Now, Knight-Lieutenant, why don't you make a choice for us, hmm?" The Inquisitor asked as it motioned to Neptune who was tossed carelessly onto the ground by the Fel-lord with a gasp of agony, his entire body spasming from the pain. "Which one should die?"

" _What_?!"

"I said; which one should die? The _boy_..." The Inquisitor repeated impatiently, pointing to Neptune then to Weiss. "Or the _girl_?..."

Ravarth immediately tore his gaze away from the floating demon towards Weiss, who had begun to shake violently as terror danced in her eyes. She never broke her own gaze from Neptune, repeatedly calling out his name as she pulled at the ropes which bound her.

The Worgen then glanced over at Neptune and felt his stomach turn. He was far too injured to fight, let alone even stand. Would he even be able to escape if he was spared? Possibly. Was it a risk worth taking? Ravarth was not sure.

With one last growl of defiance Ravarth opened his mouth.

"Wait!... Don't kill her!..." Neptune called out, interrupting Ravarth before he could even speak. Looking down to the ground, Neptune spoke in a quivering voice, closing his eyes as he came to terms with what he was about to say. "Kill me... Just kill me... Please just leave her out of this..."

"NO! _NEPTUNE DON'T_!" Weiss shrieked.

"Well! Looks like we have a selfless soul here!..." The Inquisitor exclaimed happily as it pointed towards Neptune. Suddenly its voice grew patronizing and cold. "...Pitiful creature."

The fel-lord raised it's axe above Neptune.

"Let him go! _Don't you dare touch him_!" Weiss shrieked in terror, flailing around frantically as she desperately attempted to free herself of her bindings. " _LET HIM GO RIGHT NOW_!"

Neptune gave Weiss one last smile.

" _PLEASE NO_!" The heiress cried as she made one last attempt to lunge for Neptune, only to fall flat on her face in her attempt, the ropes on her hands throwing away her balance.

"Weiss... I love-..." Neptune was cut off as the Fel-Lord's axe fell, forever silencing the huntsman.

All Weiss could do was scream.

* * *

 **See! There were survivors!... *watches Neptune's head roll away* ...Kinda.**

 **Anyways! The oneshot I mentioned should be out soon! Hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading!**


	16. Chapter 16: A Sacrifice Absolved

**Alrighty! Not too much to say this time! This chapter is a little bit shorter than normal due to a combonation of college, a family members surgery, and my own ineptitude. Next chapter will be full length as usual though!**

 **Raging Archon: I don't know which one of us is worse. You for making the joke, or me for laughing so hard at it. Also as for the moon, who knows? I mean... There must be some reason. Right? I'll just say that these chapter names aren't just random! And as for Blake, I wouldn't worry too much about her. After all, she is a... Clever girl-... Oh god now you have me doing it.**

 **RightHandOfPalpatine: I'm not sure much can surpass V3's ending in terms of 'oh god why' factor. But thank you!**

 **Smartjocklv: *sips punch from Neptune's skull* Less plot armor huh? I think you may like this chapter in that case.**

* * *

A Sacrifice Absolved

* * *

Ravarth struggled to hold what was left of his restraint as watched tears stream down Weiss' face as she shrieked in horror, watching with unblinking eyes as Neptune's severed head slowly rolled away from his limp body.

After taking a moment to enjoy the sight of the freshly beheaded huntsman before it, the Inquisitor turned back to face it's two prisoners, only to feel another jolt of sadistic glee rush through it's form.

"Oh my, what fun! She's squealing like a lamb!" It cooed, as if listening to the laughter of a baby.

Weiss said nothing in response, her voice cracking as her body began to feel the effects of her shrieking, though it did nothing to slow the tears falling from her bloodshot eyes.

"How precious! She's so _mortified_!" The Inquisitor continued to taunt as it drew out an ornate looking knife from its flowing robes, running a gangly finger along the spine of the blade.

Ravarth clamped his teeth together as he felt his shoulders shake in anger. He stared down at his hands, bound in front of him by iron shackles, and narrowed his eyes.

He could probably end up freeing himself if the Inquisitor turned it's back on him, but that still left Weiss, who no doubt did not have the mental constitution to even consider escaping.

Suddenly the Inquisitor spoke up again, bringing Ravarth's attention back to the demon.

"Unfortunately, as much as I would love to sit here and watch the girl's suffering for the rest of the day, I must return to my duties..." The Inquisitor sighed, before raising the dagger towards Weiss, adopting an ominous tone. "What do you say Knight Lieutenant? Shall we kill her next?..."

" _NO_!" Ravarth roared as he sprung forwards, abandoning all hope of a subtle escape, scooping up Weiss in his still shackled hands before quickly turning away from the Inquisitor, breaking into a sprint.

Unfortunately the Worgen's escape was thwarted when the Fel lord who had been standing guard threw a chain towards Ravarth, the metal links slamming into his back with such force his spine would no doubt be broken had his armor not endured the brunt of the attack.

Weiss was instantly knocked out upon impact with the ground as Ravarth stumbled and dropped her due to the blow. Her head split open as it made contact with a rock, spilling her blood upon the fur of the dazed Worgen who fell beside her.

Despite the attack however, Ravarth was on his feet again after only a few moments fighting through his disorientation, repeatedly slamming his iron bound wrists against the rock that had injured Weiss.

He smiled softly in satisfaction when he felt the weakened metal give way, falling away from his wrists.

His smile was short lived though, as when he glanced back he let out a curse as the Fel lord who had thrown the chain at him began to charge him, battle-ax raised, ready to end both the Worgen and fencer.

Wasting no more time, Ravarth quickly retrieved a discarded pole arm, no doubt dropped by one of the many casualties of the initial assault.

It seemed simply constructed compared to the other weapons who's origins lay in Remnant that Ravarth had seen. It still seemed more than effective for what he needed it for however, and with clenched teeth, he brought the glowing blue blade of the weapon up to face the charging demon, ready to defend Weiss.

Before the Fel Lord could take another step however, a bright flash of white crossed Ravarth's vision, so quick that the Worgen would have missed it had he not been paying attention.

The Fel Lord froze as the white light passed and dropped his massive battle-ax, letting out a loud gurgling groan before his severed head slipped away from his shoulders, before falling to the ground with an audible thump.

As Ravarth attempted to process what had just occurred, a white robed woman landed gracefully before the astonished Worgen, who had taken the time to scoop Weiss from the ground.

" _Kid_?!..." He let a relieved smile cross his face as he finally realized who had saved them. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you."

She glanced back at Ravarth, giving the Knight-Lieutenant a small nod before turning back to face the Inquisitor, who had since begun charging up a rather nasty looking spell.

"... _Run_."

Ravarth needing no further convincing. With a small nod the Worgen turned and began to sprint away with Weiss and the discarded polearm both bundled in his arms.

He glanced back for only a moment when he heard the shrill cry of a demon in pain and watched as the last signs of life were ripped away from the Inquisitor, who faded into a cloud of purple clouds that dissipated only moments later.

Once the Inquisitor was no more, another Fel Guard, who had also been guarding the only unblocked entrance soon rushed for her as well, slamming his axe down where she stood.

But she was gone.

Noticing his initial attack had missed, the Fel Lord ripped his axe from the ground, raising it above it's head in preparation for his assailant to reappeared, only to also freeze in place and drop it's weapon when it's throat was ripped open, demonic blood gushing from the wound.

Ravarth, realizing that she would be needing no help from him, turned and continued running down the ruined streets, tightening his grip on the unconcious girl in his grasp.

* * *

The storage room door creaked loudly as Blake clamped the heavy metal door shut behind her, bathing her surroundings in pitch blackness that seemed as if it had swallowed the light before her very eyes.

She gripped the hilt of Gambol Shroud harder as she headed into the murky darkness, narrowing her eyes as she strained to make out her surroundings.

Despite her faunus heritage it was still extremely hard to make out anything more than a few feet in front of her in any great detail.

"Alright... Now I just need to find that dust cache and get out of-..." She tensed up and clamped her mouth shut when something suddenly began move slowly behind her, creeping up while her back was turned.

"Who's there?!..." She twirled around, catching the the last sherds of a strange shadow disappearing into the darkness.

Not wanting to be caught off guard, Blake immediately began firing multiple rounds where she suspected the shadow's owner stood.

Despite her quick shooting, her bullets merely ricocheted off of one of the many metal crates that surrounded her, her weapons muzzle illuminating the room for a split second.

Though the flashes of her muzzles she was able to make out the form of reptile running past her, disappearing behind one of the crates, shielding itself from the hail of bullets that the ninja had fired.

Once the magazine in her weapon ran dry Blake shifted Gambol Shroud into it's sword mode, bringing it up in front of her in preparation for the inevitable counter-attack which would no doubt come sooner rather than later.

True to her suspicions, mere moments after Gambol Shroud had ceased firing a faint growl resounded through the room, echoing through the darkness.

Suddenly Blake lurched as she felt her entire body shift upwards as she was slammed against the ground by some unseen force, her back burning with pain. " _Agh_!"

Not wanting to be caught on the ground by her attacker, Blake ignored the pain radiating from her back and sprung up to her feet, bringing a hand to her back as an afterthought, only for her fingertips to come back covered in a warm sticky substance.

Her blood.

Letting out a silent curse, she squinted her eyes tight, attempting to locate her attacker, wishing that she had packed some sort of light source before she had left the camp.

Suddenly as if reacting to her desires, the runes that had been adorned to her blade began glowing brightly, illuminating the area around her in an eerie blue glow.

In that blue glow she saw them.

Standing no more than a meter away from the faunus, a large group of velociraptor-like Grimm staring straight ahead, their eyes locked on Blake. Their prey.

* * *

Ravarth felt his lungs burning with exertion as he continued to run through the streets of the once proud city of Vale.

Thankfully during the time between when Ravarth and Weiss had first been captured and their escape the main battle seemed to have moved a good distance away, providing Ravarth with a relatively safe route.

As he sprinted past rubble and bodies of both Alliance and Horde soldiers he could not help but to notice that a few of them were still twitching, desperately clinging onto the last vestiges of life that remained inside of them.

Ravarth did not stop though. Even if he did drop Weiss in favor of aiding the fallen soldiers there was almost no doubt in his mind that they would not even live to make it back to camp. There was nothing he could do for them, but at least he could still help Weiss.

That help would soon come in an unexpected way. When Ravarth turned a corner a small group of Horde soldiers consisting of a large Tauren holding a staff resembling a gnarled tree trunk and three Trolls all wielding bows came into view.

They were sheltered in the middle of what appeared to be multiple wrecks of flying machines. Ravarth had overheard Ruby telling Anduin about them, but it was no more than brief discussions. Certainly nothing that would do any good in terms of operation, not that the wrecks looked as if they were in any workable condition.

The Tauren was the first to notice Ravarth and quickly began waving him over, a calm expression on his bovine face.

Ravarth mentally sighed in relief and slowed down to a walk when he drew closer to the Horde group. Part of him was still stuck in the old mindset that the Horde was the enemy. Probably something he would never be able to get over honestly, but light be damned if he wasn't glad to see them.

The Tauren, obviously the leader of the group, walked up and gave Ravarth a tired smile as the Worgen stepped up to him. "It's good to see another friendly face in all of this. Are you hurt my friend?"

It was strange for Ravarth. Other than perhaps the Draenei he had become rather used to being the tallest in a room. Sometimes he forgot just how large the Tauren could grow to become.

"I'm not, no." Ravarth glanced down at Weiss, still unconscious in his arms, and frowned. "But I can't say the same for her."

The Tauren followed Ravarth's eyes down to Weiss and mimicked the frown present on the lupine warriors face. The girl's forehead was split open, her normally snow white clothes were covered in blood and grim, and her hands were still bound within the heavy iron chains that she had been clamped in by the Legion which looked as if they were digging into the skin of her wrists.

"She certainly does look as if she has seen better days..." The Tauren agreed, before he tentatively reached out and placed his massive hand against Weiss' split forehead, a light green light slowly beginning to overtake his hand as he ran his finger along the wound, which disappeared as the green light made contact with it.

Ravarth took a small inhalation of the air around the spell as it was being cast and sighed in peace. It smelled like the forests of Teldrassil.

"There, that should suffice, though I would advise transporting her back to the portal as soon as you're able." The Tauren advised, taking an extra moment to snap the small chain connecting the two iron cuffs on Weiss' wrists together.

Ravarth nodded, silently thanking the Tauren. Removing those cuffs would have been a much more interesting struggle for him, especially now that he was not running on pure adrenaline. "Right. What's the quickest way from here?"

Upon hearing Ravarth's question one of the Troll archers, who up until now had been silent, spoke up, grabbing the Worgen's attention.

"Don'tcha worry 'bout dat. I can get'cha back in a jiffy 'mon." The Troll offered as he jabbed his thumb towards a rather large looking bat. "Da streets near da camp ain't safe to travel alone yet and Fang here can get'cha back in quarter da time it'd take ya on foot."

"Are you sur-..."

"I'm sure. Ya be a friend now, and da Horde helps it's friends." The Troll interrupted, slinging his bow over his should before mounting the bat, motioning to Ravarth once he was on. "Now hop on, we got ourselves a ton'a ground... Er, _air_ , to cross."

Ravarth nods and with some hidden trepidation he also mounted the bat, making sure Weiss was secure in his arms before he gave a curt nod to the Troll, signaling that he was ready.

Only a moment later the bat was in the air, flying at full tilt towards the portal, still shining like a beacon at the top of the faraway hill.

* * *

Blake jumped back as her semblance activated, dodging a swipe from one of the Grimm which was blown into a wall as her shadow copy exploded thanks to the fire dust infusion in Gambol Shrouds rounds.

"Damn it, these things are fast..." Blake muttered as she reloaded Gambol Shroud, never taking her eyes away from the few Grimm that she could make out through the darkness, though she was sure that there were many more still hidden.

She had heard of these Grimm before, read about them multiple times in school textbooks, but certainly had never seen one. They were known as the Dromead, and they were no laughing matter, even by Grimm standards.

They were supposed to be vicious enough to eliminate even some seasoned huntsmen, extremely intelligent to an almost terrifying degree, and they traveled in packs in order take on larger prey.

Most of all though? They were also supposed to be rare, so rare in fact that it was a contested point as to their actual existence outside of the stories used to keep misbehaving children in line.

Now though? Now there was no denying it. They were real. They were corrupted by Fel energies.

And they wanted blood.

She broke out of her thoughts just in time to dodge a large set of teeth snapping down where she previously stood, to be only to end up being batted across the room by another Grimm's tail, slamming into one of the many metal crates with a loud thud.

The moment that she was able to regain her bearings Blake immediately began shooting at the Grimm that struck her before bringing Gambol Shroud back to sword mode, impaling amother Grimm through the skull before it could snap it's jaws down on her.

When she noticed that some of the Dromead were hesitating to attack, Blake took the moment to glance around in search of the dust cache, spotting a glowing crate at the end of the hallway after only a few seconds.

Not wanting to linger in this Grimm infested area for any longer than she had to , the faunus immediately began sprinting for the box, but was only able to get a few meters before she heard the padding of feet and claws rushing up behind her. "What-..."

Blake was cut off as one of the Grimm slammed it's body against her, causing her to drop her weapon and slam against the nearby wall with an unhealthy sounding crunch as more than one of her ribs gave way to the sudden blunt trauma.

The Grimm soon began surrounding her, bearing their dagger-like teeth as they stalked slowly forwards.

Realizing she was beginning to run out of options, Blake bent her wrist and began to pull Gambol Shroud back to her grip using the ribbon attached to the hilt.

Unfortunately one of the Dromead soon realize what she was doing and brought it's foot down on her arm, a sickening crack echoing throughout the room as the bones snapped.

Every fiber of self control in Blake's body was used in order to bite back a scream of agony, instead kicking the raptor away before trying to grasp for Gambol Shroud with her other arm.

Another Dromead who had previously been hanging back quickly ran up and clawed at her, striking her across her face in an attempt to disorientate Blake, but she was still able to get ahold of Gambol Shroud, slashing madly at the Dromead that had been able to strike her in the face.

The moment that Gambol Shroud cut into the Dromead's skin however bright blue flames suddenly burst forth from the wound as the runes on the blade activated, leaving it to burn from the inside out as it's flesh was vaporized in the fire.

The other Dromead began to back away apprehensively upon noticing their pack member burning in the blue flames, giving Blake the opportunity in the moment of confusion to reload Gambol Shroud, fumbling the magazine into the hilt as quickly as she could with only one functioning arm.

The moment she felt the slide fly forwards she took aim into the darkness and began firing, this time striking more than one of the Grimm down in the hail of gunfire.

Just as she thought that she was in the clear however Grimm that Blake had failed to notice crept up behind her before burying it's teeth into the flesh of her usable arm, causing her to drop Gambol shroud and scream, her pain threshold finally surpassed.

Her grip on her conscious soon started to waver as she felt the Dromead rip it's teeth out of her arm, small streams of her blood dripping from it's mouth as it moved it's jaw above her head.

" _SMASH_!"

Blake suddenly felt the presence of the Grimm vanish as something impacted against its side, sending it across the room into the few remaining Dromead who all either dodged or were bowled over by the sudden flight of their pack mate.

The last thing Blake saw before she lost consciousness were flashes of pink and green charging towards the remaining Grimm.

* * *

Ravarth let out a breath he had not realized he had been holding in when he and the troll landed by the boarders of the camp, only meters from the makeshift main gate which had been put up by a few of the soldiers who had chosen to remain behind to protect Anduin.

"That be a inta'restin weapon ya got dere..." The troll suddenly spoke up, causing Ravarth to glance over at the soldier before following his gaze down to the now deactivated pole-arm that was bundled in his arms along with Weiss. "Looks like one'a da locals."

"Probably. I grabbed it when I was escaping from a makeshift torture and execution ground." The Worgen explained, gazing at the weapon. "I can only guess it used to belong to one of the warriors that I saw hanging up like slaughtered livestock."

"Ya'd bett'ah be keepin' it. Ya friend dere might know who's it was." The Troll pointed out, gesturing to Weiss.

"I'll ask her when she comes to." Ravarth nodded before glancing down to the ground. "Thank you for this, I know our two factions haven't always acted as the best of friends-..."

"It ain't no problem. Like I told ya, ya were an enemy once, but ya be a friend now. And da Horde helps it's friends." The Troll interrupted with a soft chuckle, giving the Worgen a nod of his own. "Well I'd best be gettin' back, and ya be best reportin' to ya prince."

"Right. Good luck." Ravarth replied, watching as the troll mounted his bat with practiced precision before the creature lifted off, flipping it's wings madly as it ascended swiftly, flying back towards the other Horde soldiers that had remained behind.

When the troll was well into the horizon Ravarth broke his gaze from the sky and strolled into the camp, ignoring the stares of the various Alliance and Horde soldiers as he walked by their posts.

He had quite a bit to report, and he was sure Anduin would want to hear every bit of it.


	17. Chapter 17: A Victory Earned

**Alright! Here's the last section of the Battle of Vale! Next chapter will be focused on the Battle of the Broken Shore! We also finally hit +100K words with this chapter! I feel like an actual writer!... Kinda!... Okay not really... Other than that I really don't have much to say, so other than the usual reviewer responses, I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

 **Raging Archon: White cloaked friend? Oh don't be strange, that was Ruby!... Right? Wait, can raptors open doors? *glances over at closet* Uh oh... I'll be right back!**

 **Smartjocklv: Yes, Blake's scars actually get mentioned in this chapter! And I plan to have more characters suffer horribly, don't you worry! As for the oneshot, I can definitely add it to my list!... Which I have. Yes, I have a oneshot list. And for timing, I'm going to Try to finish Broken Wings by Legion launch since it's meant to be a prequel of sorts. Also thank you for hating Neptune, it makes me feel extra justified in killing him. (Because I'm not exactly his biggest fan either.)**

* * *

A Victory Earned

* * *

Anduin sighed as he entered a large, hastily constructed tent with a small makeshift bedroom contained within. The first 24 hours of the siege had for all intents and purposes gone well.

The main bulk of the army that was currently engaged with the forces of the demons was making substantial progress, especially considering that they were fighting in unfamiliar territory. While they were certainly suffering losses, it was not much compared to what the Legion was losing in troop numbers.

Sun had come back earlier in the day with someone who he claimed was a valued teammate, and with assurances that Blake would soon be on her way back as well, hopefully with as much dust as she could possibly carry, which would no doubt assist any survivors in their attempts to fight. So all in all a success.

Unfortunately where success thrived, failure also festered. Only a few hours after Ravarth and Weiss, along with a small unit of soldiers, had gone out in search of survivors they returned, though only the Worgen and fencer appeared to have made it through whatever hell the unit had been put through.

Weiss had even been injured as a result of the excursion, suffering both a broken rib along with a gash along her forehead. Both injuries had been acquired during an escape attempt from a Legion execution ground, though Ravarth had refused to go into more detail than that when they had first arrived, beaten and bloodied.

As the young prince drew fully into the tent he spotted Ruby, who was lazing with her stomach on the shoddily made mattress, kicking her feet back behind her while playing a game on her scroll.

The sight of his newly realized lover certainly did much to alleviate Anduin of at least a fraction of his stress. The innocence she seemed to practically radiate was certainly a welcome change from the dreary and dismal conditions of battle.

"Well you certainly look comfortable." Anduin chuckled as he drew closer to the bed, grappling Ruby's attention away from her scroll.

"Heck yeah! This is the first time I've been able to kick back since we got here!" She replied with a bright smile, shutting off her scroll before tossing it by Crescent Rose, which was leaning on a chest nearby.

"It's only been a day at most Ruby." The prince pointed out, sitting on the bed next to Ruby. "Considering the size of the Legion's forces and the time they've had to entrench themselves, we'll probably be here for quite a while yet."

"A while? Like, how long?" She asked, brining herself up into a sitting position.

"A few weeks I'd wager, if everything goes according to plan." Anduin explained, adopting a sympathetic smile when he saw the hope in Ruby's face fade away with each word he spoke.

" _Seriously_?!" Ruby groaned as she fell back down face up onto the bed, covering her face with a nearby pillow. "Ugh, I should've packed more snacks!..."

"I'm sure you'll live." Anduin chuckled as he reached down to tickle Ruby's side, silently taking note on the lack of the white cloak she had started the battle with. Had she lost it?

"H-hey! Quit it!" Ruby giggled, attempting to roll away from the prince, only for his hand to follow her, quickly resuming it's assault when Ruby ran out of makeshift mattress to escape to.

"Sorry, I couldn't quite hear you." He replied, leaning over so he could reach Ruby with both of his hands, not giving her a moment's relief from the frenzy.

"Wanna play rough, huh?" Ruby challenged before she lunged for Anduin's arm, clamping her own arms around the appendage like a vice. There was no way he could tickle her now! "Well then lets see if you can-..."

Ruby was cut off as she suddenly felt herself being flipped around and dislodged from her lover's arm, hitting the bed with a soft thump before Anduin suddenly appeared on top of her, pinning her arms above her head before she could think to make any further escape attempts.

"...Ok so maybe you _Can_ play rough." She chuckled bashfully, realizing that their faces were only mere inches apart, and there was no one else in the room to tell them to cease their behavior.

"Wrath taught me a thing or two about fighting." The prince explained with a proud grin.

"Aw, you wouldn't hurt _Me_ , would you?" Ruby quietly muttered as she gave Anduin her signature puppy eyes.

Sure, she could probably get him off of her easily, she was not accepted into Beacon two years early for nothing after all, but she was much too interested to see where this could all be going to bother with which out of the two of them was the better fighter.

"Wouldn't dream of it."

"Prove it."

Anduin needed no further convincing, leaning down slowly and closing his eyes as he felt his lips connect with Ruby's, a soft moan escaping the girl's throat as Anduin released her arms in favor of a more conventional embrace.

"Prince Anduin!"

At the sound of his name being called, Anduin's eyes shot open as he leapt off of Ruby with speed that even a Worgen would be proud of. Ruby also quickly darted up into a sitting position, blushing, thinking they'd been caught.

Both were spared such a fate however when they realized that the voice was thankfully emanating from outside of the entrance of the tent, and that whoever possessed the voice calling for the prince most likely had not seen that little display.

"Prince Anduin!..." The voice, a male's, called out again. "Prince Anduin where are you?!..."

"I'm in here soldier, what's wrong?"

A few moments later, with the sound of rattling chain armor, a night elven soldier rushed into the tent just as Ruby and Anduin got themselves off of the makeshift bed andnonto their feet, facing the soldier with the straightest faces they could possibly muster. A much bigger challenge for the politically untrained Ruby.

"It's Lady Belladonna, your majesty!" The soldier gasped, watching as Ruby's expression changed to one of horror, and Anduin's to one of discontent, though he did his best to hide it. "She's been brought back to camp severely injured!"

" _What_?!"

* * *

"Nora! Don't put Magnalid away!..." Ren ordered quietly when he saw his 'just friend' dropping her weapon in favor of staring over at the crowd of guards surrounding them like angry wasps.

"Oh chillax Ren!" Nora gleefully chirped, clapping her hands together. "They all look friendly!"

"Given our current predicament..." Ren muttered as he glanced around, his hands tightening on his weapons. "I would say ' _chillaxing_ ' is probably the last thing we want to do."

When he and Nora had first stumbled upon Blake, he was surprised to say the least. Even more so when he saw what exactly she had managed to get herself into a fight with. Once it was clear that Blake was losing though, Nora suggested they step in, which Ren quickly agreed to.

By the time that they had finished off the rest of the Grimm however, Blake had fallen unconcious, forcing Ren and Nora to carry her around in a small makeshift stretcher they had crafted out of tarp and wooden poles. It was practically a miracle Nora had spotted the portal where the strange new invading army was presumably coming from, though she claimed it stuck out like a sore thumb.

"I'll ask once more!" A Stormwind knight, seemingly the leader of the group, began, pointing the tip of his blade at the two students. "Who are you and why are you in possession of Lady Belladonna! Furthermore, why is she in such a state?!"

"I've already told you!..." Ren hissed, taking a moment to glance back at Blake's beaten form. "We were hiding out in Beacon Academy when we heard the sounds of fighting, and when we went to investigate we found Blake fighting with a pack of wild Grimm."

"Then how were you able to locate us so easily?!"

"Uh, duh dude. You guys are on a big ol' hill with a swirly thing in the middle! It was hard to miss!" Nora laughed as she pointed up at the large swirling vortex near the center of the camp.

"And you have proof of your claims?!..." The knight pressed.

"Why should we _need_ proof?" Ren asked, immediately coming to regret his words when he saw more than one knight begin to advance forwards.

"Wrong answer..."

The guards soon all began to advance forward, closing the gap between the wall of metal and the to students who quickly aimed their weapons at the soldiers, ready to fight their way our of the mob.

Before any fighting could break out however, a voice rose above the clatter of armor and shields, causing all those present to freeze.

"Halt! _Halt_! Guardsmen, lower your weapons!" Anduin called, running up to the scene with Ruby following closely behind, Crescent Rose in it's rifle mode should one of the soldiers attempt to take a cheap shot at Ren and Nora while their backs were turned.

The Stormwind soldier who had been leading the impromptu mob immediately turned to the prince and grimaced. "Apologies my prince, but these two are a threat to-..."

" ** _Hey_**!" Another voice suddenly roared out, followed soon by Ravarth walking out of a nearby tent, his wrists bandaged and his arm in a sling, with a none too pleased expression etched on his face. "He told you to drop your damn blades! Our job is to rescue survivors, not kill the helpful ones!"

The guards were all quick to throw their weapons to the ground at Ravarth's orders, backing away from the Beacon students with their hands raised.

"Bring Lady Belladonna to a healer, now!" Ravarth barked as he jabbed a claw towards a rather large tent with a draenic symbol etched along it's side. "And bring the two who found her as well!"

"Y-Yessir! Right away sir!" The lead soldier saluted the Worgen warily before he pointed towards Ren, Nora, and the unconscious Blake. A small group of guards quickly got the message, leading the group into what was presumably the medical tent with Ruby following closely behind.

"You have my thanks for your assistance Knight-Lieutenant..." Anduin said as Ravarth stalked over to the prince, though his eyes were focused on the troops leading the students into the medical tent. "Though I sorely wish it hadn't been needed."

"Don't fuss over it. You're new to leading in the front lines. Give 'em time, they'll come around to respecting you." Ravarth replied, causing Anduin to break his gaze from the troops.

"Your words ring with confidence." He muttered.

"Because I've seen this happen before." Ravarth pointed out, realizing Anduin probably was not catching his point. "You've heard of Genn's lad right?"

"Yes, Prince Liam correct?"

"Aye." The Worgen nodded, gazing up at the sky as memories began rushing back to him. "When he first began leading troops in Gilneas most of 'em didn't take a word he said seriously."

"Honestly?" Anduin asked, raising an eyebrow. This was surprising to hear, especially considering how highly each and every Gilnean spoke of him. "I was under the impression he died a hero to the people of Gilneas."

"That he did. He got that reputation through fighting alongside the men he lead and believing in each and every one of them as if they were the key to victory." Ravarth explained, his voice growing quiet. "By the end of it all, not one soldier or civilian questioned a word the boy said."

"It's too bad I never got the chance to meet him."

"Aye... The two of you would've gotten along, and you certainly could've learned a thing or two." Ravarth sighed lightly before giving a small shrug. "But that's in the past. That's where it all belongs."

With his piece said, the Worgen took a longing glance out at the horizon, where the smoke of Felfire still filled the sky.

"So do you think the situation is salvageable?" He asked, watching as a particularly nasty looking explosion occurred a few miles from the center of the city. "Even the Death Knight's pet wasn't able to make it out of that mess without a few bumps."

"We've thankfully been doing much better on the main battlefront than we have with survivors." Anduin "I pray our healers have the ability to restore Lady Belladonna before the battle is out though. I will certainly not want to face Wrath while Blake is in this condition."

"Aye... You know he's going to stick you back under that bell if she isn't walking when he next sees her right?"

"Exactly why I'm praying my friend."

Ravarth's soft yet rough laughter told Anduin all he needed to know about the stance that the Worgen had on such a scenario.

"So how did miss Schnee hold out during the fighting?" The prince continued. He was actually genuinely interested. After all, Ruby had always praised the fighting abilities of her team, and Weiss had been no exception.

"The Priss held out rather well, if I'm honest." Ravarth replied, taking a glance over to a small tent with no identifiable logos stitched onto the front, presumably where the heiress was resting. "She still broke pretty quickly compared to most, but it certainly took longer than I personally thought it would."

"What was it that finally made her crack?"

"Her boyfriend."

"Boyfriend? I don't follow."

"Well I can't be sure it was a boyfriend." Ravarth clarified, kicking away a loose pebble as he spoke. "Might've just been a really good friend or a sibling, doubt it though."

"That doesn't answer my question Ravarth."

"Oh right. Well when we had been captured by the Legion, the boyfriend or whoever he was, decided to give his own life in exchange for the Priss. He was executed in front of us." The Worgen explained, running his finger along his throat in a cutting motion. "Poor sod's head rolled around like a ball."

Anduin's eyes widened considerably before he frowned, his gaze finding the charred grass on which he stood. "I see... Well I suppose that would explain her current state."

"She'd better get over it soon." Ravarth huffed, his usual harsh demeanor returning once more. "This battle's not finished yet, and I don't need to be dragging around a blubberin' child that'll only slow me down."

"Ravarth, you're much different than most other people when it comes to trauma." The prince pointed out, shaking his head softly as he lowered his voice. "I understand you have a certain way of dealing with loss-..."

"And she needs to learn it." Ravarth interrupted, his tone much less reserved than that of the prince. "People die. End of story. Her tears won't bring him back. We had to learn that with Liam... And others."

"No, that's not the answer, and you know it." Anduin pressed, obviously beginning to grow annoyed with his Worgen companion, as evidenced by the sudden tense tone his voice adopted. "She needs help, not to go back out and experience more bloodshed."

"Prince Anduin I-.."

" _Thomas_!"

Ravarth froze as he stared at Anduin, his eyes wide with disbelief at what the prince had let pass from his lips.

"Weiss doesn't need a soldier to tell her to get over her loss!..." Anduin, seeing an opportunity, reprimanded while Ravarth was still stunned. "She needs someone to help her cope with what's almost certainly one of the most traumatic moments of her life!... She needs a friend..."

"Proudmoore said that too, you don't have to repeat-... I don't-..." Ravarth trailed off, growing silent for a moment before he let out a loud sigh, his shoulders slouching visibly. "I don't know any other way, _alright_?"

"...You're absolutely right."

"Eh?" Ravarth glanced over at Anduin.

"Ravarth doesn't, and he never will. He's a warrior, through and through. A damn good one, but in the end, just a warrior." Anduin conceded, waiting for a moment before letting a small grin appear on his face. "But Thomas _does_..."

Ravarth stared wide eyed at the prince before letting a grin of his own sneak onto his jaw. "...Maybe there isn't much difference between you and Liam after all."

With that the Knight-Lieutenant nodded once before making his way over to the tent where Weiss was no doubt resting, leaving Anduin standing there with a face full of pride.

* * *

"Schnee-..." Ravarth paused in the tent entrance as his eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness of the interior, the curled up form of Weiss laying on the bed coming into view. " _Weiss_... I know you can hear me. Turn around."

Weiss did not even budge. "This is just too much... I just want to wake up..."

"Listen, I know what your going through, and believe me, I know it hurts-..."

" _How_?!" Weiss snapped as she whirled from her laying position towards Ravarth. He frowned when he saw the tears streaming down her face. "You're just a bloodthirsty werewolf! What the _hell_ do you know about _loss_?!"

Ravarth let out a sigh before he made his way over to the bed and sat down next to Weiss.

She stared at him, surprised at first, but did not make any move to get away.

"It was around 6, nearly 7 years ago now... I'd just turned 13 at the time... My homeland of Gilneas was suddenly overtaken by what's now known as the ' _Worgen Curse_ '..." Ravarth began, cradling his injured arm with the other. "If you were bitten by a feral Worgen, then you were doomed to become one yourself, _no_ exceptions... Of course a bunch of humans who had shut themselves off from the world had no chance against a curse like that."

Weiss said nothing, only glancing over occasionally as Ravarth continued his story.

"I was one of the first to be bitten, though the curse didn't actually take it's toll on me until days after I had been attacked. I thought at first that I was somehow _immune_ to the curse. That it couldn't affect me... So I kept my bite hidden... Even from my family." Ravarth chuckled. Not one of humor, but of pain. "...But I wasn't immune... Not by a long shot..."

With that, the Worgen pulled out a small silver locket from under his shirt with the Gilnean symbol etched on its face, the surface of the metal worn and rusted with age.

"The change happened while I and a group of refugees were fleeing towards the grasslands. I blacked out before I even knew what was happening..." Ravarth stared down at the floor for a moment, taking a second to breath before he spoke once more. "When I finally did regain my senses I was locked up in a cage... Turns out I'd been there for months."

"When they dragged me out of my cage... _Well_... They told me what had occurred..." He muttered. "My family and the group I had been with had been torn apart by a Worgen..."

When those words passed his lips he flipped open the small window on the locket to reveal the painted picture of a woman and a teenage girl within, a picture Weiss would have easily passed off as some fancy painting had she seen it in a museum.

"I didn't want to accept the truth at first. Dodged it any damn way I could think of, but in the end I had to come to terms with it..." Ravarth snapped the locket shut, the metal clicking softly as it secured itself. "I was the one who killed them... My mother, sister, and the rest of our group were dead by my hand, all because I was foolish enough to think I was immune to the curse. They were the ones who paid for my arrogance..."

Weiss said nothing, preferring to stare at the floor as the words of the seemingly emotionally devoid warrior until she felt a large clawed hand on her back, causing her to look up.

"So... I guess what I'm trying to say is that you can at least take comfort in knowing your friend died loving you." Ravarth said, removing his hand from the heiress' back. "Not all of us are so lucky..."

Figuring that Weiss would probably still need time alone, Ravarth pulled himself to his feet and began making his way to the entrance of the tent.

"...I'm sure they knew..."

Ravarth turned and stared at Weiss for a moment before letting a subtle smile flash across his jaws.

"...Aye, maybe..." Ravarth replied before holding open the tent curtain the tent curtain with his uninjured arm. "C'mon, you need to eat something before you fall over. I didn't drag your ass back here just for you to die from starvation."

* * *

It had been a month since the invasion began.

After the initial push by the forces of Azeroth, the situation had slowed to a near stalemate for nearly a full week until the arrival of fresh battalions of troops came to reinforce and replace those lost in the fighting.

With their arrival the Alliance and Horde began to make earnest headway, taking back entire swaths of land each and every day until whatever demons that remained were forced either to retreat or fall back into the forests surrounding Vale, where they were quickly disposed of by the night elves and trolls.

Even Blake was beginning to recover.

After she had been brought back to camp half torn apart and clinging to life, Anduin had ordered every available healer by her bedside to do whatever they could for as long as they could handle it.

Thanks to the overwhelming amount of healing she was receiving in a nearly constant stream, along with her aura reserves, Blake was able to make an almost full recovery by the end of the month, though she was left with quite a few nasty scars along her stomach, back, and even across her cheek.

"It's hard to believe we've finally won..." Blake, who was laying on one of the many medical beds in the tent, whispered as she watched a young Draenei priestess chant another long string of unrecognizable words, her hands glowing as they focused Light into the faunus' scars.

"Yeah, and it's even harder to believe you were able to take on a pack of Dromead like that by yourself." Sun, who was sitting cross legged on a nearby crate, pointed out. "I've always heard those things are freakin' _vicious_!"

"Be glad you didn't have to _meet_ them."

"There you go Lady Belladonna, you may sit up now." The Draenei female who had been attending to the ninja instructed, taking a moment to sit back and recompose herself, worn out from the amount of magic she had just used.

"Thanks..." Blake replied as she pulled herself up into a sitting position, accepting a small hand mirror that the Draenei passed her.

She took one look at her reflection and frowned.

The claw scar across her cheek was shrinking slowly, though much slow than she would have liked. It was still extremely prominent, and there was no doubt in the world that Wrath would notice it the second he saw her.

"Your scars have been tricky... The ones on your back and stomach the most difficult." The female Draenei sighed, placing a comforting hand on Blake's knee. "Normally it wouldn't be such an issue, but the fel-corruption in the creatures seems to absorb quite a bit of Light before they begin to heal like normal scars."

"Will they ever completely disappear?" Blake asked quietly, tracing the three claw marks along her face with her finger.

"With regular healing sessions, yes they will." The Draenei replied with a smile before standing up. "Though it will still take time. Those creatures that attacked you certainly wanted you dead. A few seconds more with them and you certainly would have been."

Sun, who had since retreated from his perch on the crates, crossed his arms and strolled over to the bedside. "Man, I still feel sucky for leaving you to deal with the dust cache yourself-..."

" _Don't_. Sage needed help, and I knew what I was getting myself into... Mostly." Blake said before glancing up at her former boyfriend. "How is he by the way?"

"Better than when we found him, that's for sure." Sun replied with a small shrug. "He's able to pretty much walk around by himself now, but he still has trouble going any further than the tent entrance."

"It's too be expected. Your friend suffered quite the grisly set of wounds." The female Draenei reminded with a wag of her finger. "He'll recover eventually as well. I wouldn't worry too much. Thankfully the people of your planet possess quite astounding regenerative properties. While the Trolls of Azeroth may have you beat, it wouldn't be a lie to say your people aren't that far off."

"You're referring to our aura." Blake explained. "It's a lot like life-force. We subconsciously or consciously utilize it in order to recover from wounds and gain the upper hand in fights."

" _Fascinating_." The Draenei whispered to herself before bringing herself into a standing position, which towered over even Sun by more than a foot. "I must go speak to the other survivors. I would love to learn more of this ability!"

"If you say so miss blue lady." Sun replied, craning his head up,

The Draenei gave both faunus a small bow before backing out of the tent, disappearing into the night.

"So any word on the search for Ozpin?" Blake spoke up far a few moments of silence.

"Nope... I even joined a couple units who took back Beacon in sweeping the place. Thought we might be able to find at least a trace of the guy, but there's just no sign of him." Sun explained, shaking his head softly. "Do you think he was able to escape when the Legion first attacked?"

"I doubt it. Ozpin wouldn't just leave his students to fend for themselves like that without a reason. Not to mention we haven't found a trace of the other teachers either..." Blake reasoned. She did not know a great deal about Ozpin, but she did know he certainly would not abandon Beacon when it was facing it's darkest hour.

"Well it _Is_ possible that the infernals that attacked the tower may have just obliterated him."

"You're right, but knowing Ozpin and the other teachers, they lived, and may even still be alive now."

"Yeah, I guess I'm just worrying too much. No way would they let a ball of flaming rock get the better of them." Sun exclaimed with a thumbs up before cracking his knuckles. "Still doesn't answer what happened to 'em though."

"Doesn't matter right now. We can search for them once Remnant has begun to recover." Blake replied as she got up off of the bed and stretched before grabbing Gambol Shroud, which rested against the frame of the bed. "Well, I'm going to go finish packing my stuff for the trip back."

"I'll tag along." Sun offered. "Finished my packing a while ago."

Blake only gave the monkey faunus an uncaring shrug in response, and woth that the two made their way outside into the now clear night skies, no longer tainted by the smoke of the Fel fire which had once covered Vale.

However before they could make any headway towards Blake's tent, both faunus stopped stock still when they noticed a strange sight.

The guards of both the Alliance and Horde had all abandoned their posts in favor of gasping and pointing up at the sky. The Night Elves and Tauren more so than any of the other races present.

"What's gotten into all of them?" Blake asked, scanning the crowd to see if there was anyone who was not staring up into the sky in hopes of acquiring an explanation, though to no avail.

"Not sure, maybe all the dried beef rations are starting to get to their heads."

Sun took a moment to laugh at his own joke for a moment before glancing up to see what the big deal was, only to freeze.

"Or... Maybe not." He muttered before pointing straight up into the sky. "Hey, uh, _Blake_... You might want to look up..."

"What? What is it?" Blake asked, taking a glance up before she found herself also staring up into the distance with astonishment.

There in the starry night sky, the half shattered moon of Remnant was shining brightly, illuminating the lands below.

It had returned.

* * *

Ravarth sighed. He could do this. It was just a thank you for having his life saved. That was it. No song and dance, just a thank you. Of course he had also never thanked anyone for saving him, which was why his apprehension on the subject was festering at best.

He had spent nearly the entire month avoiding the little reaper who had saved he and Weiss, but there was really no more putting it off. She deserved the recognition, even if it was in private.

Spotting Ruby on one of the many archery perches, happily cleaning Crescent Rose, Ravarth decided there would be no better time to do this. No witnesses after all. No witnesses meant no chance of the topic ever coming up again.

"Hey... Kid." The Worgen began as he drew closer to the huntress, causing her to glance up from her work.

"Wha? Oh hey Ravarth!" Ruby greeted as a bright smile appeared on her face.

"Erm... Well I suppose I owe you a 'thank you' don't I?" Ravarth quietly mumbled out as he rubbed the back of her head with his paw, trying his very best to seem as if what he was doing was not a completely alien concept to him.

"Hmm?" Ruby only smiled innocently and tilted her head slightly, completely unaware of the difficulty the Worgen was having with the whole 'appreciation' process. "For what?"

"For saving the Priss and I." Ravarth clarified, taking one last look around to make sure there were not any troops that might be listening in on the conversation.

" _Wait_ , what-..."

Ravarth was quick to put a hand up to silence the reaper. He had to get this done in one go, otherwise he was not sure he would be able to get through it all. "Don't get the wrong idea though, not expect a formal thank you every time you save someone though, its-..."

"Ravarth, I don't under-..."

"How'd you do all of that anyway?" The Worgen interrupted again, crossing his arms and leaning against the wooden frame of the barricade. "I mean I knew you were fast and all but that was just-..."

" _RAVARTH_!"

" _What_?" He asked, huffing in annoyance. "Why in the name of the Light is everyone spitting out my name like it's a swear recently-..."

"I have _no idea_ what you're talking about Ravarth..." Ruby explained, the confusion clear on her face.

"What do you mean?"

"...I don't remember saving you, or Weiss..."

* * *

 **So that happened! I'll see you guys next time with a brand new chapter, this time on the wonderful (at least if you like constant world ending dangers) world of Azeroth!**


	18. Chapter 18: The Maw of Hell

**Okay! This is going to be an interesting chapter! Just a quick little question for all of you before we begin! This story is going to have a sequel, and since it will I was wondering what name I should give the series. I've been thinking 'Light in the Void' but if any of you have any suggestions at all then I would love to hear them!**

 **RagingArchon: Ravarth loves depressing people, it's a talent of his. And as for the teachers, who knows? Maybe they're dealing with the threat in their own way... Or maybe even something different altogether.**

 **Fble/WowFan (Assuming you're the same person): Well thanks! I'm honored you think so! Hopefully the story will continue to please you! Keep looking around in this section though, a lot of authors have amazing ideas and some of them hardly get any recognition!**

 **TehUnoman: Oh that was no ghost, though that is definitely something Khadgar would pull!**

 **Smartjocklv: Anduin gets his holy rose moment when he puts a ring on it, as that one singer who's name I can't think of would say. As for Ravarth and Weiss, don't worry, they're just friends for now, and will be until after the end of this book. They'll be back to their usual selves by the time we see them next! ...that 'By fire be Nora'd' phrase made me spit out the coffee I was drinking when I read it by the way!**

* * *

 ** _SPOILER ALERT: This chapter contains word for word descriptions and dialogue from the upcoming World of Warcraft: Legion Pre-Patch event! Read at your own risk!_**

* * *

The Maw of Hell

* * *

In the midst of the great unknown waves over the untamed seas of Azeroth, a massive fleet sailed towards a burning island, numbering over a hundred ships in size and flying both the colors of the Alliance and Horde.

Overhead a large flying flagship of the Alliance lead the combined charge of the mixed fleet, flanked on all sides by smaller zeppelins and gyrocopters that swarmed around the massive ship like fierce wasps guarding their nest.

It was in that Alliance flag ship that the group traveled, waiting anxiously as they drew every closer to the island on which the Legion had begun it's return, and the destinies that came with whatever occurred on its tainted shores.

"So to recap, your Fel energies are not infinite. The second you feel like you're running out of stamina, come find me, understand?" Varimas interacted as he clasped Yang's hands, sending small pulses of Fel energy into her system.

"Alright, _alright_! I get it _mom_!" Yang groaned loudly, rolling her eyes in an exaggerated fashion, just incase anyone who happened to be watching was not completely and totally aware she was practically leaking sarcasm. "But then what?"

"I'll do what I can to recharge your fel energy pools so you can go on fighting without having to use up ammo in Ember Celica." Varimas explained, either not catching Yang's tone, or more likely, chose to ignore it. "And believe me, you'll want to have all the ammo you can spare while we're here, especially considering all of your special dust ammo won't... Since it won't function..."

"...You're gasping." Yang muttered quietly, causing Varimas to break his concentration on his work in favor of glancing up at the brawler, presumably in confusion. It was always so hard to tell with his fel-fume mask hiding is face from the world.

"Hmm?"

"You're gasping for air." Yang repeated, tilting her head to the side as a frown appeared on her face. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine... A tad worried I suppose..." Varimas replied, sitting back in his own chair before reaching over to the table beside them both to retrieve a small pouch of soul shards, along with his scythe-staff which was leaning against the wooden piece of furniture haphazardly.

"About what? The demons?" Yang asked before adopting a toothy grin filled to the brim with confidence. As she did, she also placed a hand on her friend's shoulder, giving it a soft push. "C'mon! You've fought 'em before and come out on top, right?"

"It's not me I'm worried about, it's y-..."

"Look, don't worry about them, or anything else! You got me here to save your butt!" She interrupted, jabbing a thumb towards herself while propping her other hand against her hip in a pose she probably thought looked at least halfway cool.

Varimas chuckled lightly, shaking his head at the blonde brawler's words. "I'll keep that in mind."

Across the room, on a small desk that was untouched by the fel-lightning that occasionally lit up the sky, instead illuminated by a small candle, Varian scribbled something hastily on a large piece of paper glancing up for only a moment when the boom of thunder echoed throughout the cabin.

"Are you sure we have enough ships in the western sector?" Wrath, who was leaning against a support beam over at one of the few windows that exposed the cabin to the outside. asked as he stared intently out the cabin window, scanning the ships that sailed below them.

"Hmm?" Varian hummed, not even bothering to glance over at the elf, knowing he had limited time to finish what he was writing.

"The western sector. I'm worried it's not been reinforced enough." Wrath clarified, staring at the offending flock of ships that seemed more sparse in numbers than the other sections of the fleet.

It was honestly quite hard to see the fleet through the dense clouds of the storm they flew through, but even if they had just been specks, it still would have been easy to see the difference in numbers that the western ships possessed compared to the rest of the fleet.

"It's all we could spare..." Varian without looking up from the letter "I made sure to station extra healers on those ships, should the Legion attack them thinking them to be a weak spot."

"I suppose that's the best we'll be able to do then..." Wrath whispered to himself, staring down at the ships with a hint of pity in his eyes. Varian's words were no more than empty assurances. If the Legion did indeed attack those ships, a few extra healers would do next to nothing in the face of the demons.

"Believe me, my friend, I wish I could do more..." Varian replied, catching the elf's words despite the lower volume and distortion in his voice, before he finished his frantic scribbles, placing the quill back in the inkwell.

Silence soon passed over the cabin like a shroud, only interrupted by the near constant roar of cannon fire occurring just outside of the wooden walls that sheltered the king, elves, and Yang from the storm.

As that silence continued to dominate the small ship cabin, Varian glanced over at a small compass, staring at it for a moment before turning back to his letter, rolling it up quickly but neatly and tying it shut.

With that done, the King pulled out a small wax stamp out of a small lamp and pressed the wooden tool against the surface of the scroll, melting the Alliance seal onto the letter.

"They're coming!" A soldier's voice echoed throughout the cabin, causing all those present to glance up from what they were doing, a shiver running up their spines. "They're coming back!"

As if on cue, the entire ship began rocking and lurching around in the air, forcing the king to steady himself, only for his eyes to fall on the small compass once more as it began sliding off of the table.

Varian was quick to catch the device in his palm, only to notice that the dial that lay in it's glass casing was spinning wildly out of control. Not wanting another reminder of his present situation, the king shifted his gaze up and stared at the picture inside of the compass with a sad expression etched on his aging face.

The picture of a younger Anduin, smiling peacefully as it stared back at him, yet unaffected by the trials to come. The trials that would no doubt affect that smile of bliss so gravely.

"Looks like it's time..." Varimas muttered as he and Yang rose from their seats, snapping the king out of his self induced trance.

Without another word to either Varian or Wrath, Varimas and Yang headed out of the small cabin, into the cloud dimmed daylight that poured through the only open door that lead out to the main deck.

After a moment Wrath also began making his way over to the entrance, his drawn runeblade propped up against his shoulder.

"Wrath, hold on!" Varian called out to Wrath, causing the elf to pause in the doorway as Varian walked over and placed the sealed scroll in the Death Knight's hand. "Here, this is the other half of the package I gave you when we left Stormwind. Please, treat them both with care."

"Varian, stop acting like this." Wrath muttered, placing the scroll back in Varian's hand, though the king attempted to resist the paper from finding its way back into his grasp. "You've been walking around like you're preparing for-..."

" _Wrath!_..." Varian muttered, his voice so soft yet serious that Wrath froze. "I won't order you to... But you're the only one I can possibly trust with this... I have no plans on not making it off of this island... But just incase... I just want to know that will make it to my son in one piece."

Wrath gazed down at the letter for a moment as his hand felt for the box attached to his belt, the black and purple plate of his gauntlets brushing up against the velvet material of the box.

"...Alright, but I expect you to give these to Anduin yourself later, got it?" Wrath grinned, holding his hand out once more. "No getting out of this one. This is his father's job, not his friend."

Varian grinned as well and gave the elf a nod before handing him the scroll, which Wrath this time accepted and carefully stuffed into a small black pouch that was attached to his belt.

Once he secured the small buckle that latched the black pouch shut, Wrath turned and made his way out of the cabin and into the outside air, leaving Varian standing there, his eyes filled with resignation. Resignation for whatever was to come, be it glorious, or tragic.

"You've always been quite the mysterious piece in all of this of this Wrath." Varian whispered. "But at least I know I can always trust you."

Knowing that he could delay what was to come no further, Varian made his way way out onto the deck, the other three who had been relaxing in the cabin only moments before coming into view.

Every pair of eyes were locked on a massive demonic temple in the distance, a swirling vortex of Fel energies hanging ominously above it, with various winged demons buzzing around the clouds in flocks, drawing ever closer to the fleet with each passing moment.

"Damn... That's... A _lot_ of demons." Yang paled as she gazed into the distance, her fists clenched tightly at her sides. Maybe she should have listened when Varimas said he was worried about demons; or whatever it was.

Down below, many of the ships that had drawn close to the island were now being bombarded by Fel mortars, destroying any ship that the massive flaming orbs made contact with.

Suddenly a large mass appeared beside the Alliance ship, its size nearly matched by the ship which it approached. When Varian, along with Yang and the elves, turned to glance over at what was stalking towards them, all of them let out a sigh of relief when they saw the that it was infact Horde war zeppelin.

They soon spotted a pale looking elf standing proudly on the nose of the other ship, a bow constructed of what appeared to be bones in her hand. She certainly gave off the aura of one to be respected, or feared in the case of the enemy. Even Yang could tell this woman was someone who you wanted to be on good terms with, and if not, then at the very least on a different continent.

As the Horde ship drew up side by side with the Alliance vessel, the elf glanced over at the Alliance craft, giving Varian a small nod of recognition which he returned before turning to face the oncoming demons as he drew Shalamayne from his back, the blade lighting up with power as it felt it's owners call.

Yang glanced over at her own elven companions, about to ask Wrath and Varimas who the mysterious pale elf was, but found that they were focused on said elf, with Wrath even giving a wave.

"Al diel Alar'annalas Sylvanas!" **(Be safe Ranger-General Sylvanas!)** Wrath called out, waving over to the pale elf, evidently named Sylvanas, who put her hand against her chest in a sort of lax salute.

"Selama ashal'anore Dawnblade..." **(Justice for our people Dawnblade...)** Sylvanas replied before turning her attention back to the encroaching demon armies that seemed to have taken notice of the ships.

" _Dawnblade_?" Yang asked, turning once again to the two elves. "I thought it was-..."

The rest of her question was cut off when Yang heard what sounded like the shrill cacophony of a thousand dying animals above her as the demons began their approach to the two craft at an alarming rate.

Realizing that any questions would have to wait, Yang took a deep breath before a confident smirk appeared on her face as she slammed her fists together, causing both Ember Celica and her fel powers to activate.

"You ready to do this?" Varimas asked with the slightest air of excitement in his voice as he backed up until he was back to back with Wrath, who wore a smirk that showed he was more than ready for what was to come.

"You don't even have to ask." Wrath replied as he readied his sword, pointing it towards the oncoming swarm defiantly, runic power dancing wildly on the surface of the blade, begging to be unleashed upon whatever it could reach.

Not even a moment after Wrath had pointed his sword into the air, demons began to dive-bomb the ship, with some slamming against the deck, while others chose to snatch up sailors, carrying them off into the sky as they screamed in horrified protest.

" _Open fire_!" Varian commanded, pointing Shalamayne into the air at the oncoming demon frenzy.

On his cue the ship started launching volley after volley into the air attempting to shoot down at least a small fraction of the demons that were assaulting it's hull, while mages and archers took pot shots at some of the smaller demons, sending them into the sea before they could do any significant damage.

Yang soon began punching at the swarm, firing small bolts of Fel fire into the air, nailing a few of the demons before they could make it onto the deck. Those that did however, she quickly dispatched with Ember Celica before they could even think of harming her.

Wrath and Varimas both began unleashing spells upon the demons, slaughtering whatever got within range of the two in a flurry of bone snapping frost and flesh searing fire.

Suddenly, just as those on the ship felt as if they were beginning to repel the smaller flying monstrosities, the ship lurched to the side as a large meteor impacted one of the main cannons, destroying it instantly and leaving a massive fel-seared hole on the side of the hull.

Varian turned towards the crater in the ship, hoping to locate anyone in peril of falling off the edge, only to see that an infernal was slowly beginning to lumber awkwardly from the hole caused by the meteor, or more accurately, it's own body.

When it was only halfway out of its pit, the Infernal took a downward swing at Varian, causing him to drop Shalamayne on the deck of the ship, knocking him off of his feet, and off the side of the ship. He was only able to save himself at the last moment when he caught the railing with both hands, dangling off the edge precariously.

Realizing that Varian still clung onto the side of the ship, the Infenreal raised its massive rocky army to strike the man off of the ship and into the murky waters below when an arrow of shadowy energy impacted against it's arm, forming a large hole in the burning stone.

Enraged, the Infernal snapped it's gaze over to locate its attacker to see Sylvanas standing with a confident smirk on her face and her bow aimed at the construct.

That smile did not last long however, as the Alliance ship, taking too much damage from the demons onslaught, soon began to veer violently to the side. The fan of one of the main twin engines of the ship made contact with the Horde's own ship causing wood and rope to fly about in every which direction as the metal fins tore through the hull of the war zeppelin.

Sylvanas took note of the deck of the Alliance ship before grabbing hold of a thick rope on her ship, cutting the material with one of the blades attached to her bow, launching herself over to the Alliance flag ship, firing dark volleys into the arm of the infernal as she flew.

Varian, who had climbed up while the infernal was distracted, quickly charged the construct and began to hack away with his blade, Shalamayne tearing through the stone like butter.

The Infernal, realizing it was outmatched, began backing away from the two leaders, only to end up tumbling of the edge of the ship with a roar. As soon as it began to pick up speed however, his body impacted against one of the engines of the ship, tearing it off to fall to the sea along with the Infernal.

Upon losing one of its engines the ship gave one last lurch in midair once more before it began heading into an inescapable nose dive.

" _Shit_! I think that was the final straw!" Varimas cried as he flung himself at a nearby railing, clinging on for dear life, watching as various soldiers of the Alliance fell past him and into the water.

"Looks like we're gonna be having a bumpy landing!" Wrath growled, his feet suddenly gathering frost around them, shooting up his legs to attach him to the platform. He attempted to take a few swings at passing demons, though most flew out of range, realizing the Alliance aircraft would no longer be a threat.

As Varimas clung to the railing, inwardly cursing out every deity he could possibly think of, he saw a sight that made his stomach drop.

Just a few feet away, the Warlock spotted Yang, dangling from a section of railing, her feet up in the air as she tried desperately to maintain her grip on the wood, so soaked with the condensation of the clouds.

Suddenly, due to the dampness of the wood of the railing, Yang's grip failed, her eyes flying wide open with shock as she began her rapid descent through the air. Not even a scream escaped her lips as she fell away from the ship.

" _Yang_!"

Varimas did not hesitate for even a moment, focusing his Fel energies into his feet before launching himself over, catching her, though this only resulted with both brawler and elf falling through the air.

Wrath stared over at the scene for a moment and thought to try to bring them back with a death grip, only to quickly realize that they were much too far away for him to catch safely, not to mention that if he caught one, then there was no guarantee the one not in the death grip would not just be ripped out of the other's embrace.

So Wrath could only watch as his friends fell towards the sea below, taking a moment to take a breath before he began to form a shield of ice around his body, covering the Death Knight in a thick semi-translucent shell.

Varian, through all of that however, said nothing, only tightening his grip on the rope was holding onto like a vice as he glared at the sea rushing towards them before closing his eyes.

* * *

"No!.. _No_! They're going down!" Jaune cried out as the engine to the Alliance flagship fell from the sky, with the craft itself following it's example not long after, though with much more devastating effects.

"By the Light..." Tirion whispered, watching in horror as the twisted hunk of burning metal slammed against the waves, plunging both the ship, and whoever was still on board, into the dark waters of the sea.

"What do we do?!" Jaune asked, turning to the Highlord with a look of desperation. Yang, Varimas, and Wrath had been on that ship!

"There's nothing we can do from here. We must push forward and pray that our allies find dry land safely." Tirion muttered as he drew Ashbringer from his back, his gaze fixed on the isle that lay ahead of them.

" _But_ -..." Jaune's voice teetered off when he felt Pyrrha place a hand on his shoulder, giving it a small squeeze. When he glanced back at the hoplite a frown formed upon realizing that she was shaking her head solemnly.

He did not want to admit it, and apparently neither did she, but the Highlord was right. Nothing could be done for those had been aboard the flagship now.

"Be ready for anything, the both of you. The moment that this ship touches the sand every move you make could decide whether or not you live or die." Tirion instructed, his voice low.

As if fate was attempting to reinforce his point, just as the final words passed from his lips a volley from the island slammed into the ship sailing just next to his own, the screams of the crew quite audible even through the sounds of battle.

"We understand Highlord." Pyrrha replied, shivering as she watched a few of the sailors jump overboard into the water, while others simply shot themselves. Those poor crew members on that other ship did not even have a chance go escape from the burning hell they were all now no doubt experiencing.

"...I'm sorry that you two must be dragged into a conflict such as this, I truly am... But this battle could very well determine the fate of all of Azeroth, along thousands of other worlds." Tirion explained, his grip on Ashbringer tightening as he watched the first foot soldiers reach the beach, only to quickly be cut down by the demonic forces. "Including your own..."

"Don't worry Tirion. We don't plan to run!" Jaune replied, drawing Crocea Mors in an effort to enhance his point, though judging by the chuckle coming from the Highlord, the extra theatricals were far from necessary.

"Good..." The Highlord, turning to face Jaune with a smile of pride on his face, hidden only slightly by the helm he wore. "I'm glad to hear that..."

A calm moment of silence passed through the ship then. Despite the sounds of carnage on seemingly every side, the occupants of the ship, for that brief moment of time, felt at peace.

"Jaune, despite what others may say about you, despite their claims of your weakness, I can see something more important than any measure of power _possibly_ could be." Tirion said, watching as the confidence Jaune's shoulders deflated and his head tilt to the side in confusion.

"I'm sorry, sir... I don't understand." Jaune asked, giving the old paladin a shrug. "What exactly do I have?"

"You have _courage_. The courage to stand up to even the armies hell itself in defense of your friends." Tirion clarified, before glancing down at his own weapon. The weapon that had seen the courage of so many brave souls. "Promise me that you will never forget that, _never_ lose sight of that virtue..."

"I promise sir... But why the speech? It-..."

"Because I think it's necessary. But if you won't take my word for it..." Tirion turned to face Pyrrha, who looked back at him with wide eyes. Did he know how she felt as well? "Take it from h-..."

Tirion was cut off as a eat shattering explosion ripped through the hull of the boat, tearing off the main mast of the ship, flinging the burning section of wood into the sea.

"Helmsman! What's the damage report?!" Tirion called out, ducking down so as to not end up falling victim to a stray piece of shrapnel.

"The main mast has been hit Highlord! We're dead in the water!" The Argent sailor manning the wheel replied, his face rife with worry. He looked to be ready to throw up from the anxiety of what was to come.

As Tirion was about to speak up again, a shrill cry pierced through the air, causing both the crew and troops turn to see a winged demon darting towards the boat, a bolt of felflame already charging in it's maw.

" _Find cover!_ " The Argent sailor who had been manning the wheel cried out, before jumping from his position at the wheel and into the water, barely avoiding a blast of Fel energy that obliterated the wheel, along with any hope of controlling the vessel.

Before anyone can think to move another ball of fire slammed against the deck, though this time the flames were able to reach something that made even Tirion's eyes go wide with fear.

"The magazine's going up!" One sailor cried out, watching as the barrels of gunpowder used to fire the cannons was caught ablaze, the flames eating away at the wooden shells, along with the seconds they had before it exploded in a violent shower of flame.

Pyrrha, upon hearing this grabbed Jaune and leapt over the side of the boat before he can even think to protest, both huntsman and huntress landing in the icy cold water with a splash

" _Abandon shi_ -..." The Argent Crusader was cut off as the powder barrels finally burst, flames tearing a swathe of destruction through the ship, sending a large beam of wood into his neck which caused a stomach turning amount of blood to spurt from the wound as he fell into the water, spasming violently.

A moment later the fire reached the rest of the powder barrels stored under the deck, causing the ship to explode into thousands of splinters that rained down into the sea. Along with that, miniature chunks of flesh from whoever was unlucky enough to still be on the ship when it exploded, landed in the sea, dying the waters red.

"Are the two of you unharmed?!" Tirion's voice called out once Jaune and Pyrrha resurfaced. Upon turning to face the source of the voice they found the Highlord, floating on a large piece of wood, generating a shield of light that shielded the three of them from the smaller incoming projectiles being fired by the Legion's forces.

"Yes, we are! Thank you Tirion!" Pyrrha called out, Jaune nodded along in agreement.

"We'll need to swim to shore! Keep your heads under the water for as long as you can, don't give the demons a target to fire upon!" Tirion instructed, flinching in exertion when a larger projectile hit the shield. "I will shield you from their fire the best I can!"

" _Yessir_!" Jaune replied before he and Pyrrha dove under the waves and made their way towards the island.

* * *

"Ow, ow... _Freakin' ow_..." Yang muttered as she spit a mouthful out sand out onto the beach, silently wishing she had closed her mouth when she and Varimas had fallen to the ground.

"Yang? You okay?" Varimas' voice echoed from just a few feet away, prompting Yang to turn to the source to find Varimas laying face up, obviously still quite dazed as well.

"Yeah, I'm fine I just-..." Yang felt her breath catch in her throat when she noticed it. "Varimas! Your mask!-..."

"Took a pretty big impact, I know. Saved me from getting a jagged rock embedded in my forehead though, so I won't complain." Varimas replied, reaching up to feel the large crack that had formed in his felfume mask.

"Think it's salvageable?" Yang asked, crawling over and placing a hand against the mask, causing Varimas to shoot up into a sitting position.

"Uh... Yes! Yes, I'm sure it'll be salvageable." Varimas assured with a nervous chuckle as he unconsciously backed away from the brawler. "An hour or two with a blacksmith and it'll look good as new!"

"You okay? You're getting all gaspy again dude." Yang pointed out, causing Varimas to wave his hands dismissively in front of his face.

"I'm fine!... Just a little dazed after that fall!..."

"If you say so Var." Yang muttered, giving a shrug, though judging by the look she was giving Varimas, she did not believe it.

"What? What's the look for?"

"...You really shouldn't be ashamed of what's under that mask Varimas..."

Yang sighed before pulling herself up to her feet before walking to a large black shoulder plate, presumably left behind by a fallen demon, and sitting on it, leaving Varimas stunned on the sand as he stared at her retreating form.

"Yang, I-..." Varimas trailed off into silence for a moment before shaking his head vigorously. "It doesn't matter. What matters right now is finding Wrath and Varian before those two decide to take on the entire island by themselves... Which, knowing them, they _will_ try."

Yang said nothing, instead looking out over at the coast to see ship wrecks, the water around them dyed a faint red tint with the blood of the Alliance and Horde soldiers and sailors that had not even been fortunate enough to make it to the shore before they were cut down or blown apart.

"Do you think any of our forces actually made it to the shore in one piece?" She asked, biting her lip when she noticed a small collection of body parts floating by. None of them looked to be from the same body.

"Judging from the carnage we can see from here, I doubt many did, though I'm sure a few slipped by." The Warlock, who had also pulled himself from the sand to stand beside Yang, replied.

"Hey. Question for ya."

"What is it?" Varimas questioned, sitting next to her on the large black armor.

"Were you always a Warlock?"

"I'm not sure this is the best time to discuss that. We really should look for-..." Varimas trailed off before taking a quick glance around only to realize there wrre no allied forces within sight. "On second thought... I think we might just be stuck here for a bit."

"Huh, yeah you're right..." Yang muttered as she took a look around herself. She had honestly just wanted to talk to the elf, she had not even noticed their current situation up until then. Turning back to Varimas she gave a toothy smile. "So spill! _Warlock_! Were you always one or not?"

"No. Not at all. My life as a Warlock only came about after the undead Scourge attacked the lands of Quel'Thalas." Varimas explained, propping his arms behind him as he leaned back on the armor.

"Oh, so then what'd you used be?"

"A Mage, believe it or not." The elf chuckled softly. "Was trained from a young age as one, even studied in Dalaran, which is widely regarded as the ' _City of Mages_ '. I never could get a competent grasp on portal magic though."

"Portal magic, huh?" Yang repeated, bringing a finger to her chin in thought. "What about it did'ja suck at?"

"Locations. I was horrible with actually getting the portals to transport a person to the correct destination, though that was usually my fault for not checking the variables more than once." Varimas clarified. More than once horrible incident had arisen from his lack of portal prowess before, and he was sure there would be more.

"Guess that explains why it took so long to get back to Stormwind from Silvermoon." *(1) The Huntress muttered sarcastically, giving the warlock a playful glare as he chuckled at her implied insult.

They sat in silence for a moment, with only the sounds of faraway battle reaching their ears.

"Wait, so if you could create portals that led a person anywhere, but had no control over where that place would be..." Yang's eyes shot wide open as realization hit her like a bus. "Hold up! Were you the one who sent Wrath to Remnant?!"

"I was wondering when you were going to catch on to that." Varimas nodded, pulling out a small stone with a rune inscribed on the front. Presumably a stone used to make portals. "That I was... Though I must admit, even I did not foresee all of this happening, and all just from a simple portal spell."

"The Legion invading? What's that got to do with your portals?"

"No, I meant meeting all of you." The blood elf clarified, gazing over at his companion. "Which, for me and Wrath at least, is just as, if not more important..."

Yang felt her face heat up ever so slightly. " _Oh_..."

"I do wish that, if I had known about where that portal lead, to send someone besides Wrath in first though." Varimas said, shaking his head. "He's never been the best at _'initial foreign relations'."_

"You mean he's got a habit of throwing around school bullies like pingpong balls when they mess with innocent people?"

"That's another way to put it, yes." Varimas laughed, looking down at the sand. The blood covered sand.

"Well he did end up on the Alliance's good side, so he can't be a complete boob." Yang pointed out. It was a point Varimas could not contest. Wrath had certainly ended up on the Alliance's good side when he saved Prince Anduin from death at the hands of Garrosh Hellscream.

"Honestly, if you want my opinion, I don't think Wrath gives a _damn_ about the Alliance, or even the Horde." The warlock replied, glancing over at the blonde brawler.

"Wha? Whaddya mean?"

"Wrath is someone who's never really judged a person through the faction they represent." Varimas said with a shrug. "He might _claim_ to be a friend to the Alliance, or a warrior of the Horde, but I can assure you, his loyalties lie only with a certain few people."

"Why?"

"I really cant answer that, I don't know myself... He's always just put the loyalties of his friends and loved ones above those of a group or faction." Varimas "Often he'll end up getting himself into quite a bit of trouble if it means help those he cares for... Even if the consequences may my dire for himself."

A lot like a certain Fallen Prince, the Warlock thought sadly.

"So who are those people? Like... His family and stuff?" Yang inquired.

"No, certainly not his family." Varimas shook his head, glancing over at the sea for a moment as memories of Wrath's family flooded back to him. None of the more recent ones positive. "He and his family are estranged."

" _Ouch_..." Yang whispered. It made sense sadly, after all no one really knew anything about Wrath's past except for Varimas, though even he refused to speak on the subject if it was ever brought up. "Then who?"

"Hmm... Off the top of my head... Varian, Anduin, Sylvanas Windrunner who's a longtime friend of ours, myself..." Varimas listed, counting off each name on one of his fingers as he went on. "And of course, all of you, though I'm sure Blake is the favorite."

Yang gave off a small laugh as she produced a mental image of Wrath hanging a small 'favorite' collar around Blake's neck.

"Hey Var..." The huntress began after a few moments of silence, prompting the Warlock to glance over at her. "One last weird question for you..."

"Hmm?"

"Well this is gonna sound _really_ awkward, given where we all are but..."

"Whats wrong?"

Yang paled as she suddenly became quite interested in the inner workings of Ember Celica. When she finally did speak her voice was uncharacteristically quiet. "When this B.S. with the demons is all over and dealt with, would you wanna try-...

Before she could finish her request, a hauntingly cool wind swept over the length of the beach, causing a shiver to run up both Yang and Varimas' spines.

"Oh my... Seems I'm interrupting..." A disembodied voice echoed throughout the beachhead, dampening the sounds of battle as a strange shell of dark energy began to encompass the area surrounding the warlock and brawler.

Varimas let out a loud curse of anger and roughly yanked Yang away from the large black shoulder plates, both of them landing in the blood covered sand as wisps of black clouds began to seep from between the cracks of the black plate.

Soon, through the swirling vortex of black smoke, the form of a massive demon began to take shape, that of a humanoid with large bat like wings that looked as if they were almost too big for the body that they were attached to.

The demon grinned wickedly as his wings flared out, dissipating the smoke and revealing the full horror of his form to the Warlock and Brawler, who had since taking up fighting stances.

Varimas twirled his scythe quickly and chanting an incoherent string of words, his hands lighting up with fire that traveled up the length of his staff and coating the blade in Fel energy.

" _Whew puppy_! You're an ugly one!" Yang wolf whistled as she activated Ember Celica and aimed it at the demon's head. "Hey Var, who is this guy?!"

" _Mephistroth_... His name is Mephistroth..." Varimas replied, his voice deadly serious. He knew this demon from many stories, and he had never wanted to meet him. "A high ranking Dreadlord within the Burning Legion..."

"Ah... I'm surprised you know my name..." The Dreadlord, Mephistroth, hissed out, his voice sending a wave of doubt through Yang and Varimas, who both visibly flinched.

"I'm a Warlock. We tend to find these things out." Varimas replied, quickly checking the surrounding area to verify that they were not being flanked by any smaller demons that the Dreadlord may have brought along with him

Mephistroth chuckled, his clawed fingers catching aflame with Felfire. "I see... Well since the formalities of greetings may be placed aside, shall we move onto the part where I dismember and disembowel you while you still draw breath?"

"Yang, I think it would be best if you went to try to find the others..." Varimas warned, slowly approaching Mephistroth. "This guy isn't someone I want to play around with..."

"Hey, it's just another demon Var! And what do we do to demons?" Yang asked with a grin, slamming her fists together and activating her semblance. "We turn them into paste!"

Mephistroth laughed darkly before ushering Yang over to attack. "Really? Well, lets see how you do then... _Little girl_."

* * *

It had been nearly an hour since landing, and not one person, Wrath and Varian included, could attest to finding their push through the isle of demons to be an easy one.

Varimas and Yang had both gone missing during the crash, their forms falling to another part of the island entirely, with no guarantee that either were even still alive.

Thankfully a good chunk of the forces that had been on the ship had somehow survived and now fought their way through the demon armies, cutting down whatever stood in their way.

Varian had been quick to rally any and all Alliance forces he could find against the Legion, with even some of the Horde following the human king, all knowing that this could not be a moment for faction stuggles. The Legion could not care less who's flag they flew into battle.

The group had fought their way from the beach up to a small section of what had become a demonic city, taking quite a few casualties along the way.

Wrath brought his blade down onto a demon, decapitating the monster before it could even let out a cry of pain, before turning around upon hearing Varian's voice echoing throughout the courtyard.

"Hold fast Alliance! We will not fall this day!" The King reassured, cutting down a felguard as he yelled, spiking the demons head down to the ground with his sword. "Push them back to the portal!"

Upon hearing the Kings command, the remaining Alliance and Horde forces charged against the demons, slamming against the Legion's forces with both magic and metal.

Varian quickly followed his forces into the fray, slicing through two smaller demons as he ran before slamming his shoulder into a third, knocking it down to the ground where it was executed by an adventurer.

Wrath, who had just finished with another opponent, shot out a tendril of dark magic, grabbing onto and throwing another felguard away from troops that were being cornered, slamming it against a sharp rock, skewering it.

As the battle contineud, a massive bipedal demon suddenly emerged from the portal, lumbering towards the preoccupied forces with the intent of causing as much damage as it could while their backs were still turned.

Wrath silently cursed and brought his sword up in preparation for the demons attack, only to lower it once more when large bolts of arcane magic slammed against the side of the demon, toppling it over into a pool of fel-lava

Varian gazed over in hopes of locating the source of the magic to find Genn Greymane and Jaina Proudmoore, along with a band of at least twenty other warriors of various races standing behind them, cheering the sorceress on.

They almost immediately began to rush down towards the group, only stopping once they were only feet from the survivors of the flagship crash.

"Genn, Jaina. It's good to see you safe." Varian called over to his two friends with a small wave, which both returned eagerly.

"And you." Genn replied, drawing his blade when he noticed more demons beginning to encroach upon their position.

"Form up, Alliance! We push them back to the portal!" Varian called to the combined group who let out an ear splitting roar. " _For_ _Azeroth_!"

* * *

Tirion, Jaune, and Pyrrha had spent the last few minutes in what could only be described as hell.

The Argent Crusade forces had initially made good progress through the beach, the demons unprepared for the onslaught of the Light that the Crusaders possessed. Even larger demons had fallen easily to the power of the Crusade, along with the Ashbringer.

Unfortunately the same could not be said for the city located on the main section of the island. The demons there were infinitely better prepared to fight warriors of the Light, who began falling in the dozens as the demons overpowered what little force they could muster.

Tirion, Jaune, and Pyrrha had even been cut off from the rest of their forces due to a large flanking by the demons, stranding them on the inner section of the island to watch as their brothers in arms were brutally cut down without mercy by the forces of the Legion.

They did not give in however, and found the strength to fight their way up a large hill that was not as well guarded by the demons as the rest of the island.

After what seemed like forever, the group came upon a small volcano like structure, with Fel-lava bubbling violently in it's pit, the constant hissing of the demonic sludge only accenting the scenery.

Jaune, Pyrrha and Tirion were paying no attention to what surrounded them however. Their focus lay upon a single individual that stood before them, hunched over and leaning on his cane like a frail old man. A deceptive view of the horror that he could truly conjure.

Gul'dan.

"Ah... Tirion Fordring, so _glad_ you could make it..." The Orcish Warlock hissed out with a sadistic grin, which only grew when he suddenly found Ashbringer only a few feet from his face.

"Surrender Gul'dan!" Tirion ordered, gritting his teeth in preparation for whatever that snake of a Warlock had planned for him.

"Now why in the name of Sargeras would I do such a thing?... After all..." Gul'dan's voice dropped so low that had Tirion not been listening, he may have missed it over the bubbling of the magma below them. "I have you right where I want you..."

Gul'dan's hands lit up as the ground below Jaune and Pyrrha suddenly began to break away, slowly descending into the lava pool below.

Tirion quickly turned and rushed over, pushing the two of them away, though as a result took their place, nearly falling into the lava, only catching the edge of the rock at the last moment.

Gul'dan laughed softly with a smile on his face as he reached out towards the Highlord, encompassing him in a small ball of magic that lifted Tirion from his perch and over the pit of lava.

" _NO_!" Pyrrha screamed as she jumped for Gul'dan with Milo raised, ready to deal a killing strike against the Warlock.

Gul'dan shot an uncaring glance over at the hoplite before sighing and raising his other arm in her direction, launching a generated bolt of Fel energy towards the huntress.

Pyrrha was quick to raise her shield up against the Fel bolt, only to gasp when she suddenly felt the metal of her shield give way, the bolt of Fel energy slamming through the metal of her armor and into her flesh.

It only took an instant.

Pyrrha could not even cry out in horror as she felt the bolt rip through her stomach before she hit the ground unconscious, but not before she heard the indistinguishable and unforgettable sound of her spine snapping in half.

" _PYRRHA_!" Jaune, who was still on his knees, began to shake uncontrollably as he felt tears begin to well up in his eyes at what he had just witnessed, and at the sight of Pyrrha laying there with a massive hole in her stomach and through her back.

All sounds of battle suddenly vanished. All he could see was the form of his partner bleeding out in front of him with her intestines half spilled out of her back, the upper half of her body twitching uncontrollably. The bottom half was no longer even moving.

Jaune did not even register himself drawing his blade and rushing towards Gul'dan with hatred in his eyes...

Or the searing pain that followed soon after...

* * *

 **Told you it would be interesting! Not much to say here other than I will see you next update!**

 ***(1): This is a reference to multiple oneshots in the collection that involve a small cavalcade of misadventures with Blake, Yang, Wrath, and Varimas in their efforts to get back to Stormwind between chapters 8 and 9!**


	19. Chapter 19: A Loss Endured

**Okay! Who's ready to get miserable?! ln all seriousness, there will be some dark stuff in this chapter, but for those worried, I can promise you that Arkos isn't going to die. Just... Be contorted in agony for a while... Maybe... Unless I get bored... Or I'm in a bad mood... Or it's a Tuesday. *evil smile***

 **Fble: No. It will not be pretty. Not at all.**

 **Raging Archon: Listen, it wouldn't be Warcraft if Gul'Dan couldn't be a** **little shit once in a while. Right? As for Yang and Varimas, they definitely won't be having a fun time down there with the Dreadlord that's for sure. And as for the mask... You'll find out in this chapter!**

 **Firem78910: Sink?... Sink... Thanks for the idea!**

 **Novice4129: Love you, too! Resurrection with the Light tends to revolve around the power of the person and time that's passed. That's one advantage necromantic magic has. It can be done years after death. And you aren't worried about Yang? Well let's change that shall we?**

 **smartjocklv: Honestly these two chapters were almost annoying to write because I had to stick to the 'script' so much. I'm glad that piece is over now!**

 **Akshka: Well the Grimm will certainly show up soon! Probably not until after this arc ends though.**

* * *

A Loss Endured

* * *

The first thing Jaune felt as he was thrown to the ground was pain. The crippling pain of a felburn across his torso that seemed to boil his skin on contact, the flesh under it becoming charred.

The second sensation was the pain in his throat from the scream he felt out as he felt the burns crawling up both of his arms, which spasmed erratically, as if they were not his own, but those of a dying animal, flailing for the empty hope of escape.

Taking a moment to let his aura absorb some of the pain, Jaune forced his eyes open, glancing down at his hands in hopes that they at least came out of the blow unscathed. However was he saw caused tears to well up in his eyes.

In his hand was Crocea Mors. Or more accurately, what was left of it.

It had been shattered. The blade that had been passed through generations of the Arc family, and the he had been entrusted with by his own father. Now all that remained was the hilt, along with a small stump of what used to be a blade.

Jaune's eyes watered as he stared at the broken family heirloom. Despite aruby's insistence that the 'classics' were often undestimated, he had never been the sword's biggest fan, especially considering he was the one who was forced to wield it while his classmates all used shotgun gauntlets and scythe sniper rifles. But it had still been the weapon that he had trusted his life with, and now it was shattered.

His shield was long gone, presumably blown far into the distance or even obliterated in the inferno of Gul'dan attack. Not that it had done much of anything to block against the Orc's spell.

When he found it in himself to glance over at Pyrrha, he was half relieved to see she was still laying there, still breathing. Though ragged as it may have been, she was alive at the very least.

Ignoring the pain in his limbs Jaune slammed his broken blade into the dirt, pulling himself forward again and again in order to drag himself over to his partner.

When he finally did reach her, he tossed Crocea Mors aside, slowly bringing Pyrrha's unconscious form into an embrace, ignoring the constant stream her blood seeping into his clothes, dyeing his armor in a matter of seconds.

"I'm-... I'm so sorry Pyrrha... I'm sorry... _I'm sorry_..." He was sorry, not only that she had ended up in this way, but for being so weak. For having others always fight his battles.

For being so ignorant... About her.

"I should've been a better teammate... You deserved someone so much better than me..." He continued, letting the tears stream down his face unabated as Gul'dan kept attempting to torture Tirion in the background, though it was clear from the lack of screaming that the Highlord had not given in yet.

"Why did I have to be born as such a screw up?... Why couldn't I have been stronger?..." Jaune questioned, looking at Pyrrha through blurry eyes. The girl who had done so much for him. The one who he had dragged down so much. "Maybe then you wouldn't be-..."

Jaune's words were cut off as a fresh and powerful sob took hold of him, causing him to bury his head in his partners shoulder, which was covered in blood, staining his face red.

After a few moments passed, Jaune felt as the pain from the burns across his torso began to numb as his consciousness began slipping away.

Knowing it would most likely be the very last time he would see her alive, Jaune brought Pyrrha's half paralyzed form in for one last hug, only gripping onto her tighter when he felt a spasm run through what few muscles in her body that still functioned.

"Please... Don't leave me Pyrrha..." His vision was clouded in darkness as he felt himself falling towards the ground. "I _need_ you..."

His head slammed against the charred dirt, unconscious, though despite that, he and Pyrrha were somehow still locked in their embrace.

Just as Jaune passed out on the ground, a large group of Alliance and Horde adventurers approached the platforms which surrounded the pool of magma, nearly every single one of them pointing their weapons at the Orc warlock, with one exception.

"Jaune... Pyrrha..." Wrath could only let out a whisper when he first saw what he presumed to be the two corpses of his allies, laying in their embrace at the mouth of the lava pool, with Gul'dan standing over them, as if ignorant to their presence. That shock quickly shifted to anger, runic energy building up around him as he contemplated attacking Gul'dan where he stood.

King Varian and the other adventurers however, were focused on another, who was hanging precariously above the lava in a shell of Gul'dan's magic. His legs were dangling uselessly above the pit of magma, with Ashbringer floating just beside him. So close, yet so far out of reach.

A few moments later, another group of mostly horde members came charging up another ridge, effectively surrounding Gul'dan and the captured Tirion, though the Horde adventures seemed much less concerned with the two teens laying on the ground at the Orc Warlock's feet.

"Gul'dan! You _Will_ pay for this!" Sylvanas, who was leading the small band of adventurers, hissed loudly, pointing her bow at Gul'dan's head, an arrow notched.

"Stay back... It's a trap... The Light will protect me..." Tirion called out to both groups, causing attention to be turned on him for a brief moment before a dark chuckle brought attention back to the threat at hand.

"Ha, you fool... You stand before the temple of a _GOD_! Your pitiful Light will not reach you here..." Gul'dan turned his gaze over to the members of the Alliance gathered on one side of the ridge, a twisted smile creeping onto his face. "How fortunate that your friends have come to watch you _die_..."

Suddenly, as Gul'dan's words faded into silence, they were soon replaced by the thundering roar of the ground beginning to rumble violently, so violently that small stones were bouncing around, falling into cracks and crevices in the Fel scarred earth.

As the ground counted to shake, a massive tainted demon, resembling an Eredar, rose from the pool of Fel lava, it's form towering over everything else, dwarfing even the largest of the Tauren and Draenei adventurers staring down the demon with their weapons raised.

Gul'dan let out one last laugh before pointing towards Tirion, prompting the massive demon to turn to the Highlord. "...Destroy him..."

At those words, demon unleashed a stream of Felfire onto the trapped paladin, only for the demonic flames to be blocked by a barrier of Light, eradicating the Felfire before it could even think to touch Tirion.

"The Light... _Will_..." Just as it seemed fate was playing into the hands of the Paladin, the monster's attack suddenly intensified, causing the barrier to suddenly let out an ear piercing crack before it shattered, exposing the Highlord to the intense demonic fire, his armor melting onto his skin thanks to the overwhelming heat of the attack. " _AGH_! _AGHHHHHH_!"

Tirion was engulfed in the inferno before any of the adventurers could think to assist, screaming in agony for a next moment before Gul'dan released his spell, letting the leader of the Argent Crusade fall into the lava below.

Gul'dan gave a small smirk of satisfaction, content that what woukd have certainly been rather large thorn in the Legion's side was now dealt with. Before he turned to leave however, his eye caught the fallen forms of Jaune and Pyrrha, still locked in their embrace.

With a small flick of the wrist, Gul'dan levitated both Jaune and Pyrrha into the air, glancing over at the adventurers to give one final sneer before releasing them from his magical grip.

And into the pool of lava that claimed yet two more victims that day...

* * *

Yang, bruised and scratched up, impacted against the ground with a loud grunt, gasping for air, only to feel her throat sting as embers found their way into her esophagus, singeing her throat from the inside.

"Ok... This guy's a little tougher than I thought he'd be..." She admitted, pulling herself to her feet before pulling out new rounds for Ember Celica, reloading them quickly, should her attacker decide to take advantage of her moment of vulnerability.

"He's a Dreadlord Yang, we'll be lucky if we're able to take him down at all." Varimas pointed out with a whisper. He had not escaped the demon's last attack either, with small tears and scuffs running along the entirety of his robes, while the crack on his mask had grown considerably.

"Well you could've _warned_ me before we charged at him!..." Yang whispered in reply, turning to the warlock, giving the elf the stink eye, only for that glare to vanish when he uttered his own reply.

"I _did_!..."

"...Oh."

Mephistroth laughed as he watched the two defenders of Azeroth sharing what appeared to be an impromptu bickering session. How the almighty Legion had been pushed back not only once, but twice by this planet of fools he would never understand.

"You should have heeded the warning of your ally." Mephistroth called over to Yang, the huntress turning to face him with hatred in her eyes, which glowed a crimson red. "Perhaps then you would have been able to escape with your life..."

"Sorry to disappoint ya pal, but we aren't going to give up just because you're a little tougher than all your lackies!" Yang spat back, activating Ember Celica as her semblance continued to flare, the huntress unwilling to show any signs of fatigue to the Dreadlord.

"You do have spirit, I will afford you that child." Mephistroth commended, though his tone was one of condemnation, while his fangs were bared to the two. "Care to test how long that conviction will stand tall?"

"Sure thing!" Yang charged again, much too quick for Varimas to stop her, and even for Mephistroth to react.

She reached the Dreadlord in a matter of moments, slamming both gauntlets of Ember Celica into his chest and firing them, causing his armor to dent inwards as he let out a hacking cough as his ribs shattered under the armor. However this did little more than cause the demon to stumbled back.

"You little..." He growled, glaring daggers at Yang, who stood there, only feet from him, with a triumphant grin plastered onto her face.

"How's that for _conviction_ , eh ugly?"

Mephistroth let out another growl before throwing his arm forwards, launching a bolt of dark energy at Yang, who was quick to dodge the projectile before it could even reach her, the void energy exploding against the side of one of the many hills that surrounded them in a shower of purple energy that vaporized the sand which came into contact with it.

Seeing that his initial attack had failed, Mephistroth rushed in towards Yang taking a swipe at her with his claws, only for that attacked to be blocked with the end of Varimas' scythe staff.

A snap echoed across the beach.

Varimas let out a loud curse as he watched the blade of his scythe fly off of its shaft, landing in the sand a few feet away. He had little time to mourne over the destruction of his weapon however, the dark aura of the Dreadlord much to threatening to ignore.

"You two carry yourselves with much confidence..." Mephistroth hissed, barely suppressing the urge to beat the masked elf to death with his flaunty human companion. "It boarders on _arrogance_..."

"Was that an insult? I think it was an insult." Yang asked Varimas, giving the elf a wink.

"Not a very good one." Varimas replied with a chuckle, catching onto her plan.

If they could make him angry enough, then there would be no doubt that he would inevitably slip up and open his defenses for a more serious attack. All that they would have to do would be to anger him as much as they could as quick as possible.

Unfortunately, they would never get the opportunity to put that plan into action.

"You both think yourselves so capable! So powerful! Yet despite that, all you operate on is borrowed power!" Mephistroth roared, his hands flaring up in demonic fire as he rose to his full height. "And now I will show you what that power can truly do!"

With a dark cackle of delight, Mephistroth raised his gangly finger into the air, pointing his black talon-like claw towards Yang.

At that moment, the brawler suddenly let out a haunting scream that sent a chill down Varimas' spine as the muscles in her limbs began to spasm wildly, causing her to collapse under a crippling pain as Felfire flared up around her violently.

Varimas quickly rushed over and attempted to grab Yang's shoulders in order to steady her. "Yang?! What's wrong?!"

The moment his hands touched the surface of her skin she screechee in pain, the area he made contact with becoming black with soot as green and purpe burns appeared around her body.

Realizing that the Dreadlord must have placed some form of curse upon Yang, Varimas whirled around and threw a fel-fireball at Mephistrtoth, who merely batted it aside with one of his wings, the orb of flame impacting against the sand in a shower of sparks.

Mephistroth gave a chuckle of amusement at the Warlock's attack before pointing to Yang once more. This quickly caused her semblance to go into overdrive as her aura attempted to shield her from the pain, yellow and green flames shooting out in every which direction.

"Her body is empowered with the Legion's magics. How foolish to attack a Dreadlord with such a handicap..." Mephistroth explained, giving Varimas a twisted grin as the Blood Elf reached out towards his friend, though she backed away from him before he could grab ahold of her, for fear of being burnt once more.

That fear was realized as Mephistroth activated whatever strange magic he was using again. This time though, the pain flowing through Yang was so unbearable, the brawler nearly threw up on the spot, only stopping thanks to the small pool of aura still left within her holding her gag reflex back.

"You will _kneel_ child..."

Green fire sprouted up around Yang's body at the Dreadlord's command, the flames licking against her skin, leaving burns that boiled and melted away sections of her skin.

While she was caught in this torrent of pain, Mephistroth attempted to use his power in an attempt to force her to her knees, to which Yang's legs start shaking violently in response, however, she did not fall to her knees.

"F-... Fat chance, _asshole_..."

Mephistroth made a humming sound as he seemed to mull over the words of the huntress for a moment before his gravitational spell was suddenly released as he raised his clawed hand high into the air.

"Very well..." Mephistroth he began, his eyes growing wide with lustful glee. The pleasures of causing others pain would always be a fountain of bliss for him. "If you refuse to kneel... Then you will die!"

Suddenly, the Dreadlord brought his arm down, launching a large ball of Fel fire at Yang, who brought up her arms in a vain attempt to block the projectile. There would be no way she could dodge the blast in the state she was in. She would just have to hope that when it did hit, that it would not outright kill her.

That hypothosis would never have to be answereed however, as Yang closed her eyes and braced for the incoming attack, she suddenly heard the sound of shifting feet.

The sound of someone stepping in front of her, and into the line of fire.

Yang cautiously let her eyes drift open and caught her breath in her throat as she took in the sight of Varimas' shattered mask falling to the ground, landing in a pile at her feet.

She glanced up watched as a mane of flowing light blonde hair fell down Varimas' back like a waterfall, only stopping when it had nearly reached his waist. But that was not what had caught her attention; not at all.

It was his face that did that.

Yang had never really given much consideration as to what Varimas looked like under his mask. She had always assumed that he looked more or less like any other blood elf in Azeroth.

She had even seen a glimps of it back in Silvermoon during her long recovery process. But this was the first time she could see it so clearly. And the first time she could truly see the damage which scarred his skin.

Running along the right side of his face, just under his eye, a massive purple scar was present.

It was clearly old, that was for sure, for there were no signs of the scar being a fresh wound, yet with each breath that Varimas took the scar seemed to pulse with energy, it's purple color brightening slightly with each exhalation of the Warlock's lungs.

Even his eye seemed to have been affected by the scar, not the usual light green of the other elves, but a sickly purple, with small virus sprouting away from the eye socket like roots from a plant.

"Oh my... Well isn't _this_ a surprise." Mephistroth spoke up, redirecting Yang's attention back to the Dreadlord, who wore a smirk of triumph on his face. "Not your first time stepping in front of an attack I take it?"

"...You could say that..." Varimas hissed as he retrieved the blade section of his broken staff up off the ground, clenching it like a sword as he glared up at the Dreadlord.

After a moment of silence Varimas channeled a decent amount of demonic energy into the blade, before winding his arm back and chucking the broken scythe at Mephistroth with all his might,

The Dreadlord merely laughed at the impromptu attack before batting away the blade, sending it into the sea.

"Don't you understand Warlock? None of your spells will harm me!" Mephistroth cackled as he began to stalk towards the two, a sadistic grin on his pale skull-like face. "Your shadow magic and Felfire are little more than a cold splash of water against my skin! There is _nothing_ you can-..."

Mephistroth was cut off as a Fel-Imp suddenly ran up from a nearby rock jumping towqrds the demon and latching itself to the Dreadlord's face, causing him to stumble about angrily as he attempted to remove the smaller demon from his head.

Varimas paled. Was that?...

" _Xezbeth_?!"

"Don't worry boss! I got this chump!" Xezbeth yelled as he dug his claws into Mephistroth's face, attempting to gouge out the Dreadlord's eyes.

"Get off of me!" Mephisroth roared as he ripped Xezbeth off of his face, growling in rage at the actions of the smaller demon in his grasp. "You insignificant little gnat-..."

Mephistroth was cut off as he suddenly felt himself being flung back by a small barrage of arcane bolts, causing him to drop Xezbeth onto the sandy ground with a thump.

Xezbeth quickly brought himself to his feet, leaping away from the Dreadlord and landing next to Varimas who still looked more than stunned at the Imp's arrival. "Ha! Told you I was your best demon ever!"

"I won't argue that point right now." Varimas agreed with with a small smile before a look of confusion crossed his scarred face. "But how are you here?! I dropped all of my soul shards during my fall!"

"Uh, hello? I'm a demon." Xezbeth replied, blowing a raspberry at his master's inquiry. "Where else would I be? _Silithus_?"

The beach went silent for a moment as Varimas processed Xezbeth's words.

"So what you're saying is... You're part of the Legion's invasion force?"

"Yep! Sure _am_!"

Varimas immediately seized the Fel-Imp by the neck and hoisted him up so that their faces were only inches apart from each other, just so the demon could see the murderous look in the Warlock's eye all the more clearly. "Give me one reason I shouldn't fry you..."

"Well I just saved your ass. That count?" Xezbeth cooly asked, adopting a shit eating grin on his face.

Varimas glared daggers at the imp for a moment before dropping him back sown to the ground.

"I'm not hearing any ' _thank you_ 's by the way! Someone wanna get on that?" Xezbeth called out, putting one hand on his waist, attempting to imitate the image of a teenage girl who had just been told she was not allowed out for the night,

Meanwhile, on the other side of the beach, Mehpistroth growled as he pulled himself back onto his feet, trying to keep his balance as he attempted to recover from the shock of being hit by such a large amount of arcane energy. "How?... How did you call upon arcane magics?!"

"Weren't-... Weren't you listening earlier?..." Yang, who had since fallen on her butt, muttered, grabbing a handful of sand before chuckling humorously, watching the granules fall from between her charred fingers. "He said he was a Mage..."

Varimas said nothing in contribution to Yang's statement, only beginning to form new magical missiles in his hands as he advanced forward towards Mephistroth, fully intending to finish the Dreadlord off as quickly as possible.

"It seems we've reached an impasse..." Mephistroth observed as he raised a hand towards Yang, his claws dripping with raw demonic energy that promised pain and suffering for anyone who was unfortunate to be struck by the power, "The moment you release your spell upon me, I _Will_ unleash my full might upon the girl..."

Varimas took a moment to glance back at Yang who was still shaking in pain from the last dose of power that Mephistroth had forced into her system.

"I _doubt_ she'd live through the experience... Now tell me..." Mephistroth whispered, his triumphant grin returning. "Are you so sure that you want to take this opportunity to strike me down?..."

This time Varimas turned completely to look back at Yang, looking into her eyes, which were no longer red with determination, but back to their original lilac shade, brimming with held back tears. "Do it Varimas..."

Despite her command, Varimas hesitated, his concentration breaking as the missiles disappeared from his hands, fading into nothingness in mere moments.

"Varimas!... Do it!... I'll be _fine_!" Yang reaffirmed, giving the Warlock a small, almost hopeless, smile.

Varimas dropped his hands to his sides when he saw that smile. He couldn't do it. He just... Couldn't.

Suddenly a laugh echoed out behind him, promting him to turn around just in time to see Mephistroth dissipate away, leaving only a flock of bats in his place that quickly flew away into the stormy skies, leaving no trace of the Dreadlord.

Varimas stood there in silence for a moment before turning to Yang, rushing over to her side just as her feet gave out, only saved from a face full of sand by Varimas, who caught her just in time.

He slowly steadied her before beginning to pull her towards the shore where the others had crashed, only to hesitate for a moment when he felt the brawl giving him a slight amount of resistance.

"Wait!... We still have to beat these guys back!..." Yang exclaimed, though her voice was ragged and weary.

"Neither of us are in any shape to continue fighting..." Varimas replied, to which Yang frowned and shook her head in agreement. "We'll just have to hope that they can survive without us..."

With that the two, along with Xezbeth, headed towards what Varimas hoped to be both a camp, and with that camp, healers for Yang.

* * *

Wrath, Sylvanas, Varian, along with the host of guards and adventures gathered, fought bravely against the monster that had claimed Tirion in it's vile attack.

While they had taken heavy loses, mainly invoving the less experienced soldiers of the two factions, the battle had ended in a victory for the forces of the defenders of Azeroth, with the great beast falling back into it's lava pool, roaring out in pain as the last shreads of it's life was ripped from it by arrows shot by a few hunters in the group.

The moment that the battle was over Wrath had run to the edge of the lava pool, falling down to his knees as he frantically began to scan the green slime for any traces of the two Beacon students, only for fel-lava to stare back at him, as if mocking him.

Realizing that searching for them above the surface of the lava was a lost cause, Wrath shot a hand of dark energy into the pool, hastily searching for Pyrrha and Jaune, his eyes filled with panic.

Eventually, after what seemed like minutes of fruitless searching, Wrath finally got a grip of something and quickly yanked it out of the lava with all his might, praying that his two friends would still be alive after being submerged in the lava for so long.

His hopes however, were dashed the moment his Death Grip broke the surface of the lava. In his grasp was not the bodies of Jaune, Pyrrha, or even Tirion.

It was the base of the shattered Crocea Mors.

Wrath pushed himself to his feet as his eyes lit up in anger, gripping the hilt that hand landed in his hand so tightly that the liquid coating the blade was pushed between his fingers. They were gone. Swallowed by the pool of demonic lava that bubbled below them.

His rage was quelled for a moment when he felt a hand on his shoulder, causing him to turn to see Varian, a small frown on his face. Wrath nodded once in understanding. Both Jaune and Pyrrha had been aware of the risks and had chosen to accompany them regardless.

All Wrath, or anyone, could hope for now was that their suffering had ended quickly.

Knowing that delaying what was to come would only serve to give Gul'dan ample time to either escape or conjure a counter-attack both the Alliance and Horde groups began to make their way up the mountain paths, with the two factions taking different routes up the ridge.

"Varian!" Sylvanas called out as she halted her charge, but not before signaling her soldiers to continue progressing up the hill.

"Yes? What is it?" Varian asked, stopping to gaze over at the leader of the Forsaken, letting his own forces brush past him in their own charge up the mountain.

"We'll take the ridge and cover your flank!" She replied, nocking in arrow in her bow as a small smile crept onto Varian's face.

He and the Banshee Queen had never much seen eye to eye on the issues concerning Azeroth, especially considering they fought under two separate banners and fought with two completely different sets of morals behind them. But hearing those words, Varian couldn't help but to feel the slightest twinge of pride towards the undead Ranger General. "Sylvanas, thank you..."

"Good luck, Varian."

"And you..."

With that the two leaders went their separate ways; Sylvanas up the ridge line and Varian in search of his comrades, along with the Warlock they were no doubt in hot pursuit of.

Thankfully it took only a few moments to find the Alliance team, and along with them, Gul'dan.

The Orc Warlock had been waiting patiently at the top of the mountain on a wide plateau, a massive portal churning out felenergy behind him as he chuckled at the assembled group of 'heroes' surrounding his position.

"There's nowhere to run now Gul'dan... Give up now and I will grant you a swift death..." Varian ordered, to which Gul'dan could only shake his head in amused delight. How simple and foolish these humans could be.

"Run... Heh... You are right, human. There is _nowhere_ to run from my master." Gul'dan replied, his eyes widening in excitment as he raised his gangly hands high into the air, Fel energy coating his palms. "Now, witness the _Might_ of Lord Sargeras!"

With those words spoken, the Warlock brought his hands together, causing an echoing crash to blast throughout the battlefield, enveloping the plateau in a thick cloud of smoke that blinded the adventurers surrounding the elderly Orc.

When the smoke finally cleared and the heroes of Azeroth could locate the snake of a warlock once more, many faltered at the sight that lay before them. Now, along with Gul'dan, dozens of demons were standing before the portal, all their weapons trained on the Azerothian defenders.

"Hold steady!" Varian ordererd, gripping the two halves of Shalamayne tightly as the demons all began to advance towards the group. "We've broken their lines before, and we will again! _CHARGE_!"

The fight was short but decisive. The Azerothian defenders quickly pushed back the small number of demons with ease, only taking a few causalties themselves, mainly thanks to the horde archers standing atop the precipice, firing down upon the demons.

"I have seen the end of your pitiful world... You will perish in Felfire, like the ten thousand worlds before your own..." Gul'dan spoke up, his gravely voice echoing throughout the top of the mountain. "The Legion... Is... _ENDLESS_!"

The warlock quickly brought his hands together once more, the cloud of smoke encompassing the area once more. When it disipated this time however the defenders of Azeroth were stunned to see what appeared to be hundreds of twisted and demonic monstrosities standing before them.

A few of the demons in the front line of the army charged against the defenders, causing the fight to begin once more in earnest. With a few of the demon's even flying up to the Horde's position in order to antagonize them and prevent them from assisting the Alliance.

Though the Azerothians were still able to eliminate the onslaught of demons that had charged them, they were now clearly bruised and battererd, with even the King standing upright any longer without gasping for air, leaning against his sword as he glared at the Orc Warlock who stood smugly, watching as the heroes of Azeroth struggled against the demonic tide.

"No matter how many demons you throw at us, we will cut you down monster!..." Varian yelled across the plataeu, his voice hoarse and scratchy.

Gul'dan cackled insanely, his eyes lighting up with fel energy before bringing his hands together one final time.

The entire island gave a groan of discomfort as the mountain top began to shake violently as a large cloud of smoke once again blinded the forces of Azeroth in a murky haze.

When the smoke finally drifted away, the Azerothian defenders, along with Varian himself, could only watch in horror as three massive demons suddenly materialized behind the rest of the army, the smaller demons giving a war cry when they saw their commanders taking the field.

"We... _Return_..." A massive red Eredar began.

"To _conquer_ this puny world..." A Pit Lord, which rivaled the size of the Eredar, continued.

"And burn it to a _husk_..." A Dreadlord, not as large as the other two demons but certainly still a nightmare in of itself, finished, his wings flaring out to their full length, enveloping entire rows of demons under it's wingspan.

"Do you see now, whelp? The fate of this world, and all others, is sealed... The Legion cannot be stopped..." Gul'dan chuckled before jabbing a finger in the direction of the defenders of Azeroth. "And now... You will fall..."

The demons charged...

* * *

"There you are. That should be all for today." A blonde human priestess said cheerily as she finished casting a final healing spell on Blake before standing up and giving a bow to the faunus. "Just another week or two and you should be back to normal."

Blake gave the priestess calm smile. "I'm glad to hear it."

"Why do you even want to get rid of it?" Ravarth, who was leaning against a nearby wall with Weiss standing adjacent from him, spoke up. "Scars are something to be proud of! A mark of pride, showing you've conquered your enemy on the battlefield."

"Some of us care about our appearance, unlike _you_." Weiss muttered, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Watch it Priss." Ravarth huffed, glaring over at his white haired companion with mock boredom. "You aren't exactly spotless in the scar department."

Weiss glared at Ravarth as her arms shot down to her sides as she attempted to remain as dignified as she could depsite her anger. "Why you _mangy_ -..."

"Well its not like I conquered much of anything." Blake interrupted, hoping to quell the boiling argument before it could begin. "The only reason I'm even alive is because Ren and Nora stepped in."

"Where _are_ those two anyway?" Weiss asked, glancing around the room. Everything was still intact, which meant Nora could not be within a hundred meters of their location.

"In town. The girl was dragging the boy around the Trade District earlier squealin' something about food." Ravarth explained, giving a chuckle. "Poor bastard didn't stand a chance against her."

"Well that sounds like Ren and Nora alright." Blake commented, giving a small shake of the head. Being an introvert herself, she had to question just how in the world Ren was able to deal with Nora's antics all of the time. He had a talent, that was for sure.

Across the room, Anduin lounged on the high throne, with Ruby perched on his lap, the two happily chatting amounts themselves as they watched their friends puttering about the room.

"It's good to see those three are back to their usual selves." Anduin observed, watching as the argument between Ravarth and Weiss that Blake had attempted to stop began to boil over, the two bickering like children as Blake covered her face with her palm.

"Yeah, I'm glad we'll be able to put all this craziness behind us soon!" Ruby agreed with a smile. It had certainly been a crazy couple of weeks for everyone, and she was certainly looking forward to being able to spend time with Anduin without the threat of world destruction hanging over their heads like a shroud.

"I certainly agree, though I'm sure discussing the future of our relationship with my father will be a war in of itself." Anduin chuckled, wincingly slightly when Ruby playfully jabbed her elbow into the prince's side.

"Oh come on Anduin! He likes me!"

"I know." Anduin continued to laugh, blocking Ruby's elbow with his hand. "But I'm sure he and Jaina Proudmoore will do all they can to embarrass me in front of you with stories of my childhood."

"Jaina Proudmoore? That Mage lady right?"

"Yes. She's known me since I was a child." Anduin nodded to which Ruby adopted a massive grin on her face as her eyes began to sparkle in excitement.

" _Aww_! Does she have baby pictures of you?" Ruby asked giddily.

"I'm sure there are some paintings, yes." Anduin said, giving Ruby another smile, only for the little reaper to suddenly stop cold, gazing at him with a look of pity. "Is something wrong Ruby?"

"You seem sad Anduin..." Ruby pointed out, leaning against the prince.

Anduin sighed. He had been hoping she would not have been able to see through his smile, but apparently he had not given her enough credit. "No, I'm not sad... Just concerned for the safety of those who have gone to face the Legion on the Broken Isles."

"I'm sure they'll be fine. After all, your dad and my sister are with them!" Ruby reassured, giving the prince a thumbs up, to which he could only shake his head. She was wise, but still acted so childlike at times.

"Yes, after all, we were able to defeat the Legion on Remnant." Anduin agreed, making a mental note to himself to make sure to not pull any sort of masks in front of Ruby any longer. "I don't see why the outcome would be any different for them."

" _Exactly_!"

Ruby and Anduin then proceeded to chat for a little longer about inconsequential matters, along with a few stories from Ruby's childhood while Blake watched Ravarth and Weiss argue, with the heiress even threatening the Worgen with Myrtenaster at one point.

"Prince Anduin!" A guard called out as he ran up to the throne, catching the attention of all those in the room, who all gazed at the soldier with a mix of curiosity and apprehension.

"Yes guardsman?"

"It's Lord Duskblade sir! He's returned!"

Anduin let a smile cross his face as a sense of relief washed over him. If Wrath was back then that had to mean the armies of Azeroth had been successful, and with a hasty victory to boot!

"See? Told you that you were worried for nothing!" Ruby giggled, apparently having the same notion to Wrath's return as Anduin did.

"I suppose you're right." Anduin replied, with a bright smile, this one as genuine as the one he was receiving from his significant other.

As they spoke a hooded figure strolled up the ramp of the castle, flanked on both sides by royal guards that seemed to be less than excited about the elf's return, though Anduin could not fathom why.

The moment the blood elf was in sight Blake immediately made her way over to him, walking up to him before lowering his hood and wrapping her arms around his neck, bringing him in for a hug.

Or at least that was what she would have done, had he not gently pushed her away the moment she drew close.

Blake froze for a minute as she registered what Wrath had just done, turning to watch as Wrath silently walked up to the throne, where Anduin and Ruby sat, just as confused as the faunus the the actions of the Death Knight before them.

The entire mood of the room seemed to shift at that moment, from one of joviality to a sour ominous feeling that made even the guards flanking Wrath shift uncomfortably.

Without even a word of greeting Wrath reached inside of his cloak, hesitating for a moment as he seemed to locate whatever he was searching for. After a moment he sighed loudly and brought the object into view of those surrounding him.

Ruby could barely suppress the desire to shriek in horror when she witnessed the broken form of Crocea Mors appear before her, landing on the marble floor with a loud clatter.

 _"J-... Jaune?..."_

Not bothering to even acknowledge Ruby, Wrath hefted a large cloth covered object from his back, unwrapping it before the occupants of the room as they stood silent, dumbstruck by what they saw next.

Weiss covered her mouth in an attempt to suppress a gasp, while Blake stared at Wrath, watching as he barely held himself together. Even Ravarth seemed to be stunned by what he saw, though he was clearly doing his best to hide the emotion on his face.

It was Shalamayne.

Wrath knelt down on one knee as he jammed Varian's sword into the marble stone, the ground refusing to even offer any resistance to the blade.

Ruby glanced over at Anduin, biting her lip when he saw his shoulders violently shaking as his eyes lit up in shock and panic.

"Prince Anduin Wrynn of Stormwind... It is with great sorrow that I come to you bearing the news of the nearly complete defeat of the armies of Azeroth on the Broken Shore..." Wrath's grip on Shalamayne began to weaken as he struggled to find the fortitude to continue. "And the-..."

Anduin let out an almost inaudible sob as his mind struggled to process the words of his friend. This couldn't be real... It couldn't...

" _Anduin_!..." Ruby whispered, hearing the sob. She quickly grabbed one of his shoulders and turned back to look at Wrath, who also seemed as if he was losing what little composure still remained within him.

"The _death_ of High King Varian Wrynn of Stormwind and of the Grand Alliance..."

Anduin's eyes began to water as reality finally set in, the words hitting him like a train.

"He died an honorable death, worthy of his title of Lo'Gash..."

"Wrath! Stop!... _Please_!..." Ruby begged with tears of her own clouding her vision, clenching onto Anduin tighter as the prince convulsed in his seat.

"And now it is my duty as the bearer of King Varian's final command, that I name you, his son, Anduin Wrynn..."

Anduin felt his tears break through, falling down his face freely as he watched as Wrath glanced up at him, a look of pity in the Death Knight's gaze.

"The next King of Stormwind..."

* * *

 **...So that was a thing! I promise Jaune and Pyrrha aren't dead!... Maybe... Not too much to say other than I will see you all next time!**


	20. Chapter 20: A King's Summons

**Alrighty! How's everyone doing?! *dodges rotten fruit* They're alive! I promise!... Maybe!... From here on out a Legion spoiler alert will be in effect! Pretty much all major events left in this story will be from the beginning of Legion onwards, so read at your own risk!**

 **Novice4129: *collects your tears* Yes... Yessss... Your sorrow pleases me... Wait, what are the other 63 villainous blunders? Is there like... A list? Listen, part of the dream crushing process is being smug. Don't hate the player, hate the game!... Get it... Because it's a Warcraft fic... MOVING ON!**

 **Fble: *holds chloroform rag to your face* Shhh... Shh... We wouldn't want to accidentally get a plot point right would we?**

 **Raging Archon: Eh, all the WoW fans hate him at this point. He's used to it. As for how Varimas got the scars, who knows, maybe Mephistroth's jab about stepping in front of attacks is a little more true than even he thought! Varimas and Yang won't be going to the Horde just because it would extend the story and make it drag out longer than I want it to since it would require an extra 2 or more chapters to get them back to Stormwind.**

 **Xanothos: Deus ex Ash-... Machina. Deus ex machina.**

 **Akshka: I would update faster, but unfortunately it's summer and my friends are constantly pestering me to act Normal... Freaks... But yeah, that's why I can't update as often as I'd like.**

* * *

 ** _Before beginning this chapter I ask that you remember all those lost to the violence of the last weekend in Orlando Florida. I pray that this will be the last memorial message I will have to write on this story before it's completion._**

* * *

A King's Summons

* * *

"Wrath... Please tell me you're kidding!... Please just tell me this is some sort of joke!" Ruby begged through the tears obscuring her vision, almost unable to see the elf that had not even bothered to raise his head.

"I'm sorry Ruby... But it's not..." Wrath whispered. Part of him wanted to just raise his head and begin laughing before telling them both that it was all some elaborate and cruel ruse. But it wouldn't be the truth. There was only one truth. "He's _gone_..."

"But I'm not ready!... I'm not ready to rule on my own!... I still had so much to learn..." Anduin babbled in a shaky voice, his hands clamped against his head, pressing harshly against his temples.

He leaned back in what was now his throne, silently wishing he could wake up from the sudden nightmare he had been so callously thrust into by some malevolent watcher.

"Anduin I-..." Ruby trailed off and watched as tear drops began trail down Anduin's face. She knew there would be nothing she could say to make him feel better. When she had learned her mother was never coming back, she reacted in much the same way, though she had been quite young at the. So instead, Ruby flung her arms around Anduin's shoulders, bringing him into a tight embrace.

As the two hugged in silence, a bright flash of light suddenly enveloped the room, encompassing a small area just in front of the throne. The light faded moments later, leaving Jaina Proudmoore, her face stained with tears, in its place.

" _Anduin_!..." Jaina said upon seeing the silent yet distraught state that Anduin and Ruby were in before she strode over and enveloped both monarch and reaper in a crushing hug.

"Jaina?..." Anduin glanced up, hoping to see the calm smile that always graced the sorceress' lips, only to instead see the same tear filled eyes that he no doubt gazed up at her with himself. "Jaina? Is it true?... Is my father really?..."

Jaina nodded once, fresh tears slipping from her tear ducts. "I'm... So, so sorry Anduin..."

"I can't believe this..." Anduin whispered, taking a moment to glance over, only tp see Wrath still standing there, his hands encompassing a small scroll along with a velvet lined box no bigger than his palm. "...What is it?..."

Wrath held out the small scroll, along with the box towards Anduin. "Your father wanted you to have these..."

Anduin held out his hand, prompting Wrath to drop the scroll and box into the blonde's grip. The monarch took a moment to examine the box and reached for the small wax seal keeping the note sealed, only to hesitate at the last moment. It would be better done in private.

Anduin glanced up at Wrath one more, giving him a curt nod. "...Thank you..."

Wrath gave his own nod in return before slowly backing away from the throne, leaving Ruby and Jaina to comfort Anduin. Once he was sure Anduin would not call for him again, the blood elf walked over to a wall and leaned against it, taking his hood off before leaning his forehead against the stone, internally spouting every curse he could think of.

Blake, seeing he was no longer occupied, caustiously walks over to the death knight, her arm outstretched towards him. "Wrath?..."

"I just wanted to protect them... That's all I wanted..." Wrath trailed off before slamming his fist into a bust of an official that stood beside him, shattering it before it even hit the ground. "Nothing has changed from that day in Quel'Thalas!... I still couldn't do a _damn thing_... I wasn't able to protect them... _Any_ of them..."

At those words, a cold haunting presence seemed to fill every inch of the throne room causing everyone to shiver. Even Ravarth visibly shuddered at the icy cold wind that spread throughout the room like the whispers of Hades.

Suddenly Wrath began letting out a haunting scream as he clenched his head, shattering the ominous silence that had saturated the room in it's presence.

 **"Hear me Wrath Duskblade, Knight of the Ebon Blade..."**

The inhabitants of the room who had originated from Azeroth began to panic at the voice, with some drawing their weapons, while others had opted to just flee from the room.

"It's him!" One of the Royal Guards cried out, his hand shaking wildly as he attempted to grasp for his sword.

"This is a trick! That can't be... That can't be Him!" Another guard whimpered, his own sword already fallen to the floor with a clatter.

"B-but he's dead! He's supposed to be gone!" Yet another guard cried as tears began to flow freely from his eyes, which were filled with terror. "He's supposed to be _gone_!"

"No! It can't be! Not now!" Anduin cried out as guards surrounded he and Ruby.

"What?!" Ruby asked, retrieving Crescent Rose from its resting place beside the throne before deploying it into scythe mode. "What's going on Anduin?!"

"That voice Ruby!..." Anduin gasped out, his shoulders shaking as he stared up at the ceiling, as if hoping to find the source of the voice. But he knew all too well where that voice was coming from, and what it meant for Azeroth. "It's the _Lich King_!"

 **"The Legion has returned..."** The Lich King's voice echoed throughout the throne room once more, causing some guardsmen to fall to their knees to begin praying to the Light for protection. **"They hope to control us, to bend us to their will. You know as well as I that they are fools to think so! They merely draw back within reach of our blades!"**

Wrath slowly began to pull himself to his full standing height, though his entire frame shook violently as he held back his stomach from emptying itself onto the marble floor.

 **"I have ordered your brethren to travel to Icecrown to prepare for the coming conflict, but I have a more important fate in mind for you..."**

"Wrath!..." Jaina cried out, looking over at the elf in question. "Don't listen to him! You know _firsthand_ what he's capable of!"

 **"You speak of failure, Duskblade... You speak of the inability to save those you cared so much for!"** The Lich King continued, his voice growing soft for a moment with his next words. **"Tell me, Sin'Dorai... Do you desire revenge on those who stole your loved ones from you?..."**

Wrath kept shaking, leaning against the wall with his shoulder.

"...Yes..."

 **"Travel to my kingdom, on the roof of this world... And I will provide you the means to tear a swathe of unbridled destruction through the armies of the Legion..."** The Lich King promised, his voice dripping with sadistic pleasure. **"A blade worthy of only those with the fortitude to withstand it's power..."**

At that moment all feelings of doubt and fear seemed to be forced out of Wrqth's body as he suddenly ceased shaking as his eyes light up in revelation and determination.

The Lich King uttered only seven words then. Seven words that sent a chill down the spines of everyone present. Seven words who's meaning carried so much more weight than any of team RWBY could possibly comprehend. **"The time for your vengeance... Has come..."**

The haunting presence dissipated almost as quickly as it had come, leaving only a room full of stunned silence in it's wake.

Blake was the first to recover, moving to stop Wrath before he could think to leave the throne room, standing between him and the massive hallways ta lead to the entranceway.

A group of guards followed in the faunus' footsteps, surrounding Wrath with their swords drawn.

"I'm sorry Lord Duskblade." The guard at the head of the pack began, his sword pointed towards the elf's throat. He knew he would never be able to stop the blood elf, but hopefully he wouldn't have to. "But we can't allow you to pass. Not after what we've all just heard..."

"...Move." Wrath replied, his voice hauntingly devoid of any emotion.

"Wrath, please don't listen to-..." Blake tried, only to suddenly feel her breath catch in her throat when she felt a cold wind rush through the room.

"I said _MOVE_!" Wrath's eyes suddenly lit up brightly, a massive gust of freezing wind shooting from the death knight, slamming against all of the guards which caused the men to all fly in separate directions. Some slammed against the pillars which surrounded them. Some merely fell over, unable to deal with the harsh cold of the wind. All were knocked unconscious.

All except for Blake, who remained untouched by the attack.

"Please Blake..." Wrath whispered, the emotion in his voice turning for that brief moment, as he placed his hand on her cheek, his thumb running over the scars that the Dromead had given her. "Just get out of my way..."

Blake stood firm, though one of her hands found its way onto Wrath's. " _No_."

"Very well..." Wrath whispered, continuing to rub her cheek as runic energy began to flow into his fingers. "...I'm so sorry..."

Blake's eyes shot to full alert when she suddenly felt a cold chill crawling up her legs. Before she could think to react, chains made of pure ice suddenly burst out from the marble-tiled floor, ensnaring her before she could even raise her arms to attempt to escape.

She attempted to use her semblance in an effort to escape the trap, but the moment she was out her bonds, the icy chains followed her, ensnaring her once more in it's grip.

Before she could attempt to use her semblance again in another attempt to escape, she suddenly felt the energy from her body seeping away. Blake felt her stomach turn when she realized an enchantment had been placed on the chains and that she would not be able to escape them before they would catch her again.

As Blake resigned herself to her bonds, another group of four guards ran up behind Wrath, all prepared to draw their blades against the Death Knight if need be.

Wrath reached for his runeblade slowly in response, watching with calculated precision as two of the guards began to shake ever so slightly. It was all the confirmation that he needed.

He lowered his hand from the hilt of his weapon before nodding once.

The two guards that had not faltered at the Blood Elf reaching for his blade suddenly stepped behind their fellow guardsmen and slammed the pommels of their still sheathed swords on the helmets of the other two guardsmen before they ran to Wrath's side.

They threw aside their helmets, revealing their icy blue eyes to the world.

At the chorus of gasps and hushed curses that followed their actions, the disguised Death Knight's drew their swords, actually runeblades, and began to back peddle away from the throne room, following Wrath out towards the main entrance.

They disappeared into foggy Stormwind evening moments later, with only the roar of Wrath's Frostwyrm ascending into the sky to show that they hadn't merely dissipated into the fog.

* * *

A day had passed since Wrath's departure.

Varimas and Yang had returned the previous night, bruised and beaten from the battle at the Broken Shore. The two of them had somehow been able to stow away in one of the still operable Alliance warships, hiding there until it had reached Stormwind.

Yang was now unconscious upstairs, recovering from her fight with the Dreadlord, while Varimas had opted to stay by her side, helping her in the recovery process as best he could.

He could do little more than sit by Yang's beside and hope however, though whenever a visiting healer or castle servant was bold enough to suggest that his time would be better spent in other ways, the warlock would snap at them until they left the room in fear.

Everyone was now at the meeting

"Were the Knights of the Ebon Blade working for him all along?!" A Night Elven diplomat hollered as he slammed his fist against the table, multiple cups and books shaking in response to the blow.

" _No_! Tirion himself was there, leadin' the charge, along with the Argent Crusade! They'da never let such'a thing go unannounced!" A Dwarven diplomat replied, raising his hands up in the air in exasperation.

"This means that the Scourge has had half a decade to regroup! They'll be just as strong, if not stronger, than when we launched the campaign on Northrend!" A Human diplomat, that had just arrived from Goldshire minutes before, explained as he stood from his chair. "And we were only able to win the first time thanks to Highlord Fordring and the Ashbringer, and they're both gone now! We have no leverage against a fight with the Scourge or their damned king!"

"This must have been their plan all along... To lull us into a false sense of security while they bolstered their forces!..." The Night Elven diplomat concluded, burying his face in his hands as he spoke.

"What about Dalaran? It has been watching over the citadel for the last few years, correct Lady Proudmoore?" Anduin, doing his best to remain calm dispute the circumstances, asked as he glanced over towards Jaina, who merely shook her head solemnly.

"Unfortunately Dalaran, while close to the citadel, was not actually located within the Icecrown region..." Jaina explained, her voice downcast. "They may have been gathering just on the other side of the mountain... And we never would have noticed."

"It was your job to watch over the Scourge, wasn't it?!" The human diplomat snapped, pointing an accusing finger at the sorceress.

"No, it wasn't! Our job was to help with Northrend's recovery!" Jaina hissed in reply.

"That _includes_ watching over the threat that eradicated the Kingdom of Lordaeron and nearly destroyed an _entire continent_!" The human diplomat yelled, small veins on his forehead revealing themselves as he became visibly more upset.

"Then take that issue up with the Kirin Tor! I no longer represent them!" Jaina yelled, brushing her hand across the table in a sweeping motion, as if to theoretically push away any ties she once had with the guild of magi.

"Forgive me if I'm incorrect, but you've only left the Kirin-Tor as of recently! What about the last 7 or so _years_?!" The human diplomat asked, only receiving a glare from Jaina in response.

"It hardly matters anymore!" Anduin interrupted, knowing the two would probably continue for the rest of the day if he did not intervene. "What matters is that not only has the Legion returned, but now somehow, so has the King of the Scourge!..."

"What'll we do then my King? We cannot possibly hope tae battle both the Legion and Scourge at once. Both were substantial enough threats when they weren't even at their fullest potential." The Dwarven diplomat, seemingly the calmest of the bunch, explained. "We'll be eradicated in weeks if an attack does come..."

"We can't make any hasty moves... If the Lich King truly has returned then there may be a chance that he will first focus his attention on the Legion. He said so himself when he spoke to Wrath." Anduin replied, closing his eyes and bringing a hand to his chin in thought. "However if we become a thorn in his side, I have no doubt he will have no hangups on eradicating us in order to bolster his forces against the Legion..."

"Surely you aren't suggesting that we _ignore_ the Lich King and the threat he poses?!" The Night Elven diplomat asked, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"I _am_." Anduin confirmed with a subtle nod of his head. "As much as I detest the idea of letting yet another threat run around the world unchecked, we must focus on the more immediate of the two dangers we face!"

"You lead us to ruin if that's path you intend us to follow King Anduin!" The Night Elven diplomat cried out.

"Then what do you suggest?!" Anduin asked harshly, stopping just short of bearing his teeth at the Kaldorei. "Send an envoy of war to his doorstep?!"

"I'm not entirely sure if you heard ' _My King_ ', but from the sounds of it Lord Duskblade may be on his way to retrieve Frostmourne! _The_ Frostmourne!" The human diplomat cried, spittle flying onto the table. "The blade that destroyed Lordaeron!"

"And just what are you implying?!..."

"I'm _Implying_ that we may all be gazing upon the last king that Stormwind will ever have upon it's throne; and a foolish king at that!" The human diplomat hissed back.

"How _Dare_ -..."

" _SHUT UP_!" Ruby, who had so far been silent since the beginning of the meeting, suddenly called out. "Shut up, shut up, _SHUT UP_!"

The room focused on the little reaper as she shot from her seat and stomped over to the human diplomat, who had also forgone his seat to glare hatefully at the huntress.

"Who cares if he's back! Didn't you guys even _Try_ listening to the voice?! He hates the Legion! He wants to fight the Legion!" Ruby cried as she threw her arms out. "It's the same thing I told Varian when he was talking about the Horde! The Lich King could be our friend! But not if you come at him like an enemy!"

"And look what trusting the Horde got us!" The Human Diplomat replied. "There has been no time in recent memory in which working with those mongrels has ended in a beneficial outcome! And the Lich King is worse! He holds no remorse for the lives he takes! The Horde, at the very least, has some vague semblance honor, twisted though it may be! The Lich King is nothing more than a monster that would be more than happy to watch Azeroth _burn_!"

"You don't know that!"

"I witnessed it for myself when I watched the Scourge slaughter my family!" The Human Diplomat roared angrily. "And if you think I'm going to sit here and be lectured by a naive child who thinks the world is a fairytale waiting to happen, then you have another thing coming!"

"Well at least I still have hope!" Ruby exclaimed. "You just want to give up!"

"No, I want to ensure this Kingdom can still be located on a map come the next turn of the sun!" The human diplomat spat, his anger finally reaching a boiling point. "Get it through your head! Life is not a fairytail, and there are no happy endings!"

"Not with people like you in charge!"

 _ **CRACK**_

The first sign Ruby's brian received that she had been struck was the collective gasp that echoed throughout the room as the little reaper held her cheek and stood there silently, her eyes filled with confusion as her mind attempted to process what had just happened.

Anduin shot from his chair before Ruby had even fully recovered from the blow. " _GUARDS_! Restrain him!"

Royal guards that had been standing on the outskirts of the meeting room quickly descended upon the human diplomat, seizing him by the arms before he could even turn to face them.

"How _dare_ you strike a lady in the presence of this court, or at _all_ for that matter!" Anduin exclaimed, the anger clear in his voice as he jabbed a finger towards the exit. "You are dismissed until further notice! Don't bother to show your face here for a good long while!"

"But my King! The threat of the-..."

"You've more than made your point, with both your words _and_ your actions!" Anduin waved the guards away, the anger in his face never fading. "Get him out of my sight!"

The Royal Guards were more than happy drag the diplomat away, making sure to 'accidentally' run him into the doorway on the way out of the room. Thy had taken quite a liking to the little reaper as a possible permanent resident of the castle, and seeing her harmed was enough to drive most of the guards blood to a boil.

Ruby felt fresh tears running down her face as the stinging in her cheek continued to pulse, her hand held against her cheek, her eyes were still wide with shock.

When she finally did recover at least some of her sense, she noticed the Dwarven diplomat standing next to her, a look of pity on his face.

"Are ye' alright lass?..." The Dwarven diplomat asked, walking over and looking up at the reaper. Despite her short stature she still towered over the Dwarf by quite a bit. It would have been an almost comical scene had Ruby not been struck moments before.

Ruby held back a sob and shook her head, looking down at the dwarf as he let out a small sigh. Taking the little reaper's hand, the dwarf slowly led her by the hand over to Anduin's seat, letting her slump next to it.

When she was sitting by Anduin, the Dwarven Diplomat gave Ruby a small nod of his head before returning to his own seat, climbing up onto it before turning back to the meeting at hand.

As Ruby watched the Dwarf stroll away she felt Anduin's hand pressing against her face, a small trickle of Light flowing into the reddened skin, causing the pain to fade away in mere moments, leaving only the handprint that the Goldshire diplomat had given her.

"Let's say that we do go with the lassie's plan o' talkin' it out with the Lich King." The dwarven diplomat proposed when everyone was once again focused on the meeting. "Who would we even send? Surely no one would be suicidal enough to walk into Icecrown uninvited."

"Exactly..." Anduin sighed, bringing his free hand to his face and wiping the sweat from his brow. "It's now only a matter of hoping that-..."

"I'll go." Blake interrupted.

Everyone in the room turned to Blake, shocked at her words.

"I'm sorry Blake, but I can't ask you to do that." Anduin replied as he shook his head softly. He knew the real reason she wanted to go. Anyone who knew her at all did. "This situation has become far too volatile to-..."

"Hold on Anduin..." Jaina called out, causing the monarch to turn to his gaze over to the sorceress, surprise clearly written on his face.

"Yes?"

"I think it would be wise to let Lady Belladonna attempt to parlay with the Lich King..." Jaina stole a small glance back at Blake, who was silently pawing at a small necklace hanging around her neck. Jaina recognized the stone in the necklace immediately. It was a Scourgestone. "And to retrieve Wrath."

"Why? This isn't a situation in which we can take thoughtless gambles." Anduin said, continuing to stoke Ruby's check. "While I certainly don't agree with his methods, the goldshire diplomat was right about one thing. The Lich King is an unknown quantity in all of this, and if the events of the past are any indication, he will likely be less than willing to work with us. Not to mention Frostmourne is somehow now involved in this whole mess..."

"I know. I know that... That sword, and the Lich King, have taken so much from us all..." Jaina whispered as memories began to flood back to her like a broken dam. "But I _also_ know that the man who once wielded that blade only wanted to save those he loved, and he freely gave himself to the damned in order to do it..."

The entire room stared at Jaina in silence as she spoke, none bold enough to interrupt the blonde sorceress' speech.

"Prince-... ' _King_ ' Anduin... I implore you hear my words when I say that all of that hatred, all that destruction..." Jaina paused for a moment as a particularly painful memory hit her. "It could have _all_ been prevented... If those he loved had stayed by his side..."

Anduin gazed at Jaina as a look of realization crossed his face before his eyes became downcast, his shoulders slumping.

"I-... I understand..." Anduin muttered before he turned his attention to Blake. "Very well. But I can't risk the Alliance becoming involved, so you'll be on your own. I'm afraid I cannot help you in any way..."

With that Anduin pulled himself to his feet.

"Now if you'll excuse me... I must go prepare..." He muttered, turning to leave. "For my father's funeral..."

Ruby silently brought herself to her feet and followed Anduin out of the room, throwing her hood up over her head with one hand while still clutching at her cheek with the other, despite it being healed. Not even a goodbye was said to Blake or the others.

Jaina turned to Blake once Anduin and Ruby had left. "You should gather what you'll need for the journey. Try to be quick though, I can't stay long."

Blake nodded and stood, making her way to the exit as she went to go off to get herself prepared for the journey ahead.

Just as the reached the exit to the room however, the ninja found her path blocked by none other than Varimas, who was lazily standing there, one hand over his face as he leaned against the doorframe.

"Blake. Hold on." Varimas spoke, muffled slightly by his hand half covering his mouth.

"What? Do you need something?" Blake asked, tilting her head in confusion. Why in the world was Varimas hiding his face like that? Now that she thought about it, why did he always hide behind that mask?

"I overheard what happened at the meeting..." Varimas muttered, glancing over at the table with his visible eye. "Are you sure it's a good idea for you to go to Icecrown Citadel alone?"

"No. But it's what I have to do."

"I won't attempt to stop you then, but before you go there's something about Wrath..." Varimas sighed, realizing trying to stop Blake would be fruitless. "Something you need to know..."

* * *

Anduin was the first to enter the bedroom and throwing the scroll and box at a dresser, both landing with a light thud, before sitting on his bed, burying his face in his hands.

Ruby followed soon after, plopping down on the bed next to her boyfriend. Letting out a soft sigh, she leaned against Anduin's shoulder, her hood bunching up against her recently healed cheek.

Anduin snaked his arm around Ruby's shoulders before bringing her into an embrace. "Are you alright?..."

"Mhm..." Ruby replied, obviously not convinced even by her own response enough to form a coherent word. "...Why'd he have to hit me?"

"He didn't have to. And he certainly won't be returning to the castle for some time after that stunt." Anduin explained, beginning to rub Ruby's arm. It had honestly caught him by surprise. The diplomat from Goldshire, while boisterous in his opinion, had never resorted to violence before. It was quite a shock to see.

"Was he _right_?..."

"What do you mean? Right about what?" Anduin asked, his eyebrow raised in confusion.

"About me just being naive. Thinking the world is like a fairy tail."

"I think he was just panicked and stressed. We all are these days it seems." Anduin admitted. It was a hard thing to accept, but it was very possible that stress would become a part of their daily lives for quite a while to come.

Ruby nodded solemnly in agreement.

The two sat in silence for a moment. Only their quiet breathing could be heard, with not even the bustling sounds of Stormwind City reaching them up in the monarch's room.

"Anduin?..."

"Hm?"

"Are you going to read it?" Ruby asked as she pointed to the scroll and box, laying upon the dresser near the room entrance where Anduin left them, a small ray of sunlight shining on them, as if beckoning the young monarch to retrieve them.

"I suppose I should..." Anduin muttered as he pulled himself to his feet and made his way over to the dresser. "Delaying it won't bring him back after all..."

Ruby stood as well and watched with a small frown on her face as Anduin broke the wax seal, along with the string binding the paper, letting the parchment roll open in his hands.

He silently read the contents, tears forming in his eyes with each word he read.

 _"My son,_

 _A terrible darkness has returned to our world. As before, it seeks to annihilate everything that we hold dear. I go to face it, knowing I may not return._

 _All my life, I have lived by the sword. I've seen kingdoms burn, and watched brave heroes die in vain. It's been difficult for me to trust, after losing so much._

 _But from you I have learned patience, tolerance, and faith._

 _Anduin, I now believe as you do. That peace is the noblest aspiration. But to preserve it, you must be willing to fight._

 _Should my skills fail me, and the Legion prevail against our offensive, I ask that you and those you hold dear carry on the legacy of the Alliance with pride in your heart and your head held high._

 _Lead our people with wisdom, and strength, as only you can._

 _Love,  
Your father, Varian Wrynn._

 _Ps; Give Queen Rose of Stormwind my regards."_

Anduin let out a small sigh before turning to the small velvet lined box that also sat upon the dresser.

Retrieving the box from its perch, he stood in silence, frozen for a moment as he stared at the tiny box before opening the container, giving a sad smile when he saw just what was inside. What was staring back at him, glittering beautifully in the soft sunlight that streamed into the room.

It was his mother's old wedding ring.

Judging from the lack of dust and the almost immaculate shine that the ring was in it was quite obvious that Varian had taken the time to have the piece of jewelry cleaned. Even the small nooks that rested between the setting and the diamond which it housed had been cleaned to a spotless shine.

This had been his fathers true final request. His last wish in this cruel, unforgiving world.

Anduin was more than happy to see that wish fulfilled.

Without a word Anduin turned around back towards Ruby, concealing the ring behind his back as Ruby tilted her head quizzically to the side, perplexed at the young man's actions.

"Ruby... I'll never be able to rule this kingdom on my own..." He began, walking over until they were no more than a foot apart. "I need you by my side..."

"What do you mean Anduin?" Ruby asked, giving the monarch an innocent smile. The smile of innocence he had grown to love so much. "We're all by your side. We won't abandon you. You're our friend... You're my-..."

Ruby's eyes widened when Anduin brought his arms around to his front, presenting the reaper with the sight of the shining diamond ring.

" _Anduin_?... Is that a-..."

"...I _need_ you by my side..." Anduin repeated, his eyes becoming downcast for a moment. "I was hoping that it would be years before I would even have to think about the possibility of taking up my fathers mantle as King of Stormwind... But that day has come _early_..."

Anduin held out the ring for Ruby to see more clearly. It was so close now Ruby could have easily just plucked it out of it's casing and put it on her finger. She may have done just that had she not been struck into a stunned silence.

"Ruby... This was my mother's wedding ring... My father had always intended to present it to my future wife as a token of acceptance into the Wrynn family... But it is obvious that he will never be able to now that... Now that he's gone..."

Tears began to slide down Ruby's cheeks as her eyes shined with joy.

"So... It's left to me to present it to the woman who I intend to rule the kingdom alongside... The one who I plan to devote the rest of my life to, however long a life it may be..."

"Anduin?... Are you saying?..."

"I _am_..." Anduin replied as a hopeful smile found it's way onto his face. "Ruby Rose... Will you marry me?..."

Ruby didn't even need her semblance to tackle the blonde to the ground in joy.

* * *

A few hours later Blake was ready to head out, standing before Jaina and the remaining diplomats, fully equipped for battle. She had even opted to pack a small bag of supplies, should she be forced to spend the night in the cold.

Jaina began casting the portal, chanting a string of incompressible words as arcane energy shot from her hands in a torrent of power that formed into a portal that hung in the air just in front of Blake.

"So that's _it_... We're just going to pin all our hopes that the Scourge will not join the Legion in their quest to annihilate us, all on this girl?" The Night Elven diplomat asked, leaning against the meeting table with his ears hung low.

"Aye... Seems so..." The Dwarven diplomat replied, letting a small smile cross over his bushy face. "But... Somthin' tells me we should have a wee bit'a faith."

Moments later the finished portal stood before Blake.

"There. It's not going to be absolutely exact, but this should take you to at least the foot of Icecrown Citadel... There may still be time to stop him..." Jaina whispered, turning to the faunus with a look of desperation in her eyes. "Please... Don't let that accursed sword take anyone else..."

"I won't..." Blake replied as she gazed into portal Jaina made for her.

It bore no more than the haunting image of Icecrown Citadel in its maw, inviting the ninja into its grasp. An invitation she took without even a moment of hesitation.

"Don't make the same mistake..." Jaina whispered as she watched Blake step into the portal, tugging at a small locket hanging around her neck, old and rusted from years exposed to the elements. To the ice and snow of Northrend and the Frozen Throne. "That _I_ did..."

* * *

 **Whoop whoop! So if it's not obvious by that chapter, while I will be sticking to some of the dialogue and events of the legendary quest lines, I will be putting my own spin on events and dialogue to help it flow better. The event is also happening earlier than it normally would in Legion. (Wrath presenting Anduin with the ring and left happens before the Alliance adventurer is even awake, and the quest from Genn to give Anduin the note never happens, etc etc.) Alright! See you all next time!**


	21. Chapter 21: Ashbringer

**GUESS WHO'S IPAD DECIDED TO DIE WHEN THE LATEST CHAPTER WAS 3/4THS DONE?! Yay! So now I'm using a new iPad to write Broken Wings, and I've lost literally every oneshot idea I had for this series! Double yay! *takes a drink***

 **So yeah, sorry about how short this chapter was. It was hard to make a single scene, no matter how important, very long without diminishing its importance somewhat. Also sorry about the long reviewer response panel in this chapter, a lot of good questions were asked though. XD**

 **TehUnoman: I'm sure Anduin gave him quite a lot of beer after that one.**

 **Fble: Well at least we can never say Gul'dan isn't efficient. Also yeah... About the chapter update speed... OOPS.**

 **Smartjocklv: The reason I assume it was in Northrend was because of a quote Khadgar said in the Legion beta "From one murky land to another. At least it's not as cold!" (Loose quote, not gonna bother looking it up because I'm lazy.) While it's technically only insinuated the other kingdoms were also likely hit by the Legion at the same time, rendering their hands tied. And as for Ozpin... You'll all see soon enough. :3**

 **Raging Archon: giggle-snort... Proudbitch. I'm writing that one down. The reason she acted like that around Anduin is because she is almost a mother figure to him, and I doubt she would want to act irrational in front of someone who looks up to her like Anduin does, though that's only my own speculation. With Varimas... Let's all remember, he and Wrath have known each other since childhood, so he's bound to know something no one else would... I wonder what that would be. And Ruby as a queen... Yeah. You're right, Stormwind is doomed.**

 **Akshka: You and my raid leader would get along just fine.**

 **DivineDemon1: Hey you have something in common with me when it comes to this story then! I never get any freakin' work done when I write it! Glad you like it so much though, sorry this update took so long.**

 **Cody The Worldwalker: She might, but Bolvar also told everyone to say that he died with the Lich King, and maybe wanted to not reveal he could still be alive around Anduin. Oh yeah... About a RWBY cast member getting an artifact weapon... Well, just read the chapter!**

* * *

Ashbringer

* * *

Jaune felt a sharp twinge in his head as he felt himself being thrust out of unconsciousness, his entire body spasming softly as his muscles all seemed to react to the pain.

He laid there still for a moment, his eyes wrenched closed as he attempted to sort through the thoughts in his still muddled mind that swam around like a school of fish in a muddied pond.

What had happened?

They had been doing alright all things considered. He, Tirion, and Pyrrha had fought their way into the main section of the isle after being cut off from the rest of the Argent Crusade after the demons had flanked their position.

Then they had confronted Gul'dan, the Orc Warlock that apparently had been responsible for the whole Legion invasion.

But... Then what?

Jaune's eyes shot open when the rest of his memory rushed back to him in a surge like a lightning bolt striking the ground, only to clamp them closed once more when a stabbing pain shot back through his skull.

Jaune had watched as Tirion had fallen into the Warlock's magical grip trying to push he and Pyrrha out of harms way when the Orc decided to make the ground cave in from under them. Pyrrha had taken a massive, possibly even leathal, hit by Gul'Dan in an attempt to save the Highlord when he had been captured.

And Jaune? _Nothing_. He had foolishly charged the Warlock in a blind rage, only to end up flopping around like a dying fish on the ground with a shattered blade, a missing shield, and a broken heart.

He waited for a moment, letting the events of the past few hours engrave themselves into his mind before opening his eyes once more, only to realize that he lay in a large dimly lit cavern, a far cry from the pit of lava that he was sure Gul'dan had sent he, Pyrrha, and Jaune into.

Once he had finally collected himself and the thoughts that ran through his head like angry wasps, Jaune slowly turned his head to the side in hopes of locating an exit he could possibly crawl out of to safety, or at least into view of the forces of Azeroth, who could hopefully find him a healer.

However, what he expected to find was far different from the view he received. What he saw, only a few feet from himself was a badly burnt and crumpled form beside him, with a large red and golden spear in their grasp.

His eyes took a moment to adjust to the dim light in the cavern, but part of him already knew who lay beside them. He could not push the truth away now. It was staring him directly in the face.

It was Pyrrha.

Her breathing was ragged shallow, the wound in her stomach quickly taking its toll on the normally seemingly invincible hoplite. Her skin was badly burnt, with some sections of her body nearly black from almost constant exposure to fire. It was a miracle that the skin was even still attached at all.

Realzing that she was still alive, Jaune quickly reached out to begin to crawl over towards her.

The moment he began however, Jaune felt his limbs burning with a sharp stabbing pain. He looked down to see his own arms were covered in the same burns that now peppered Pyrrha's body. Despite this, he kept crawling, digging his frayed fingernails into the dirt as he pulled himself over towards his partner.

He had to reach her. He had to.

But suddenly, as if fate had it out for the young man, he felt himself being yanked up into the air by his leg, causing him to scream out in agony as he hung upside down a few meters from the ash covered ground. His leg felt as if it was about to be ripped away from the rest of his body, but something was keeping it attached by way of a stapler.

He slowly pried his eyes open, fresh tears blurring his vision. Through that blurred vision Jaune saw a creature with almost vampire like features holding him by his leg, giving him a sick smirk as its claws dug into the huntsman's leg, fresh blood streaming down the limb.

He had heard of these demons through his lessons with Tirion. This was a Dreadlord, and a particularly scary looking one at that.

"Well now... What have we here?..." The Dreadlord asked, his words running across Jaune's eardrums as smoothly as silk. He could sense the malice intent behind them however, so prevalent in its existence one would have to be insane to not hear it. "A pathetic little insect that was washed up in the chaotic tides of battle?"

Jaune shivered as the Dreadlord spoke, terror freezing his muscles for a moment before he regained his sense and reached up and grasped the Dreadlord's fingers in an attempt to pry them away from his leg.

The Dreadlord merely sighed before tightening his grip on the limb causing a shriek of pain to echo from Jaune, more tears falling down his face as another wave of fresh blood began to flow from the already injured appendage.

"Now, now, no struggling dear boy..." The Dreadlord chided, as if disciplining a small child. His tone was condescending, laced with fake affection that only barely hid the venom that dripped from the words. "It will only make the pain worse..."

After a moment of silence the Dreadlord chuckled softly.

"On second thought... Keep struggling..." The Dreadlord then added, this time his caring tone gone, replaced by a voice that displayed only disgust. "I haven't had the chance to entertain myself for quite a while."

With that the Dreadlord carelessly flung Jaune into a nearby wall, more than one rib cracking from the impact against the hard stone surface, his armor doing little to protect him.

Rubble quickly fell around Jaune, pinning him solidly to the earth and scratching up his face. Jaune quickly began to struggle to pull himself to his feet, only to glance back to find rocks trapping his legs, preventing his escape.

Instead of giving in however, the young huntsman only pulled harder, which soon ended with him falling forwards and slamming his head against a sharp rock, opening a gash on his charred forehead, the charred skin splitting open like crumbling paper.

 _ **Watched... Your... Love... Fall...**_

Jaune wrenched his eyes open and scanned the room slowly. Either he had taken a pretty hard hit to the head, or he was relatively sure he had just heard a soft voice echo throughout the cavern.

He shut his eyes in order to focus in an attempt to hear the voice again, only to be met with only the sickening sounds of stone being crunched under the hooves of the Dreadlord making their way to his ears.

Before he could think on the voice any longer the Dreadlord plucked the paladin from the rubble, smirking sadistically as he heard the ribs that had cracked shift about in his torso, along with the scream that accompanied them.

"I'm going to have a rather jovial time tearing you apart..." The Dreadlord whispered, his words only barely audible over Jaune's gasps of agony. "Know that I will rip the soul from your flesh and make your body my own..."

The Dreadlord then began channeling a strange power through Jaune's body, causing the huntsman to wriggle and jerk about unnaturally as he gurgled helplessly. His eyes rolled back into his head as a shadowy energy overtaking his body for a moment before fading away just as quickly, returning his eyes to their usual state.

"Know that I am _Balnazzar_..." The Dreadlord, Balnazzar, said as the muscles in it's forearm suddenly tensed. "Know that you are but a pawn in plans far beyond your reckoning..."

Balnazzar then snapped his arm out, tossing Jaune again, this time his body flying further into the main area of the cavern, where it impacted loudly against stone, causing a fair amount of blood to fly from Jaune's mouth.

Jaune held back a shriek as he felt a large jagged stone impale his shoulder, ripping through both armor and flesh, pinning him against the surface of the stone like a stuck pig.

 ** _Fight... For... Righteousness..._**

Jaune fought in vain in an attempt to open his eyes once more. He was sure he heard a voice that time. It was little more than a whisper but it was easily recognizable, even through the sheer pain running throughout his body.

"Know that you are _alone_ in this world..." Balnazzar said as he ripped Jaune from the stone, blood spewing from the wound as he was lifted away. "Know that you will die, knowing that you are unloved, and unwant-..."

The Dreadlord was cut off as a bullet sailed into his eye socket, ripping into and sending globules of the eye all over the floor, causing Balnazzar to let out a haunting growl as he droped Jaune and clutched at his eye socket, involuntarily digging his claws into his face as he shuddered.

When he finally recovered from the attack Balnazzar glade over at the source of the attack with his remaining eye only to see Pyrrha, laying there with Milo in rifle form in her hand, which trembled violently as she aimed at the Dreadlord.

She fired the weapon again without so much as a word, causing the rifle to fly up and out of her grasp due to the recoil, which in turn caused the bullet to only graze the demon's forehead.

"You... Not dead yet I see!" Balnazzar roared as he slowly began to make his way over to the hoplite, his remaining eye burning with rage that seemed ready to boil over. And what luck that he just so happened to have a target to take it out on in such close range as well. "Let us fix that, shall we?!"

" _No_!..." Jaune whimpered as he attempted to get up, only to fall back to the ground with a pathetic thud. "Pyrrha!..."

Pyrrha, upon hearing Jaune's voice, glanced over and gave the huntsman a small sad smile.

Jaune, seeing the look in her eyes, began to quickly crawl towards Balnazzar, his eyes lit up with anger.

Balnazzar glanced back for a moment before generating a large bolt of fel fire in his hand, throwing it back towards Jaune, causing him to fly back further into the cavern, landing in a small pool of water with a nasty sounding thud.

Spitting out the dirty water which found its way into his mouth, Jaune opened his eyes and gasped lightly, his eyes brimmed with tears.

And that's when he saw it.

The blade of the Scarlet Highlord; Ashbringer, stood, lodged in the ground only a few feet from where Jaune lay. A small stream of light poured across the blade from a small crack in the roof of the cavern, giving the sword an almost otherworldly glow as Jaune stared.

When he was able to regain what little sense remained in him after receiving the beating from the Dreadlord, Jaune began to frantically crawl towards the blade, which seemed to shimmer all the brighter as the boy drew nearer.

Balnazzar meanwhile, drew closer to Pyrrha, dark energy dancing on his gangly fingertips like moths darting around a flame. It would only be a few more moments before he reached her, and delivered his vengeance.

 ** _Fight... For... Justice..._**

As yet another set of disembodied words reached Jaune's ears, he reached out for Ashbringer, grasping the hilt of the weapon and pulling himself up to his legs, which shook violently as his body tried to cope with the recent trauma it had been put through by the Dreadlord.

Balnazzar stood above Pyrrha for a moment in silence, before an insane glint appeared in his remaining eye. With a cackle that sent a chill down Jaune's spine, Balnazzar slammed his hoof down onto Pyrrha' arm, powderising the bones in an instant.

Her lungs were to badly burnt from the inside out to even let out a proper scream.

"Leave her alone..." Jaune whispered as his hands clenched tightly around Ashbringers hilt before his eyes lit up in anger. He never even felt himself beginning to pull the blade from the stone. "Leave her _alone_!..."

 ** _Save... Them... All!..._**

" _LEAVE HER ALONE_!"

A bright surge of light overtook the cavern, blinding all those inside of the decrepit old cave in a bight surge of light that seemed to envelop even the darkest corners of the cavern in its warm glow.

When the Light finally faded, both Balnazzar and Pyrrha came face to face with the sight of Jaune, standing proudly as he held Ashbringer out, tears on his face, which was contorted in anger.

"No!..." Balnazzar growled angrily before leaping away from Pyrrha and rushing Jaune's position, his claws bared. "Only the champions of the Light are able to wield the highblade! You're only a _child_!..."

His charge was halted almost just as quickly as it had begun when the Dreadlord watched as Jaune raised the sword into the air.

His remaining eye lit up with fear as he watched as Ashbringer's blade was suddenly coated in golden holy fire as Jaune held it steadily in the air, never breaking eye contact with the demonic lord.

Balnazzar then quickly began back away, shielding himself with his wings as another bright flash of light once more overtook the cavern, blinding the Dreadlord as a flurry of energy flew around him relentlessly.

When the light finally faded Balnazzar opened his remaining eye, only to glance down and find that there was not one part of his body that had been damaged by the attack. He had not been hit even once.

The attack had missed.

The Dreadlord took a moment to recheck himself for injuries, and upon finding none, opened his wings fully and glared over at Jaune. The huntsman was kneeling on the ground, leaning against Ashbringer as he gasped for air.

"Enough!... Never again will that damned blade slay my brethren!" Balnazzar roared as he prepared to resume his charge. Jaune had no doubt been weakened by his attack, an attack that was not only surely an energy drainer, but had completely missed! He could eliminate that sword once and for all! "You will _DIE_!"

With that Balnazzar leapt up into the air, rushing over to Jaune's position with his hands covered in shadowy energy.

Jaune attempted pull up Ashbringer in order to defend himself from the coming blow, only to find he was far too weak to even lift his arms, let alone pull the massive blade of the Ashbringer up in defense.

Balnazzar let out one last cackle as he raised his claw and prepared to strike the huntsman down, only to freeze in place as Milo, now in it's spear form, suddenly slammed into his back, ripping through his flesh and armor and into the ground just before Jaune, who stared at the weapon as if it were a godsend.

Balnazzar glanced back, stunned to see Pyrrha, standing proudly, without even scratch marring her skin.

"Not if I have anything to say about it..." She growled, beginning to stalk towards the Dreadlord with a look in her eyes that made any threat that Balnazzar could have spewed out completely ineffective.

Balnazzar stared at the hoplite, stunned at her recovery. Even her arm, which he was sure he had crushed, was completely whole, not even a bruise to show it had been shattered. "How?..."

"You-... You didn't think I was aiming for-... For _you_ , did you?..." Jaune, who wore a triumphant smirk, spoke up in a shaky voice, his lungs fighting to retain whatever oxygen they could.

Balnazzar let out a curse before he brought himself to his feet and attempted to swing at Jaune again, but before he could Pyrrha quickly used her semblance to redirect Milo from its resting place in the ground, launching it into the Dreadlord's shoulder, sending the demon down to his back and pinning him to the ground.

"Agh!..." Balnazzar spat, glaring at the Spartan with his remaining eye. " _Damn_ you girl!"

Pyrrha silently strolled over to Jaune and clutched Ashbringer's hilt, causing Jaune to look up at his partner quizzically. "...I need to borrow this..."

Jaune smiled softly before he released his grip on the hilt of the blade, giving the opportunity for Pyrrha to lift it up from the ground with almost no effort on her part, pointing it towards the Dreadlord.

She clutched Ashbringer all the more tightly when she saw Balnazzar look up at her laugh. Realizing that giving the demon any time to recover would only be of determent to her and Jaune, Pyrrha brought Ashbringer down on Balnazzar's head.

Just before the blade made contact however, the Dreadlord quickly morphed into a flock of bats, leaving his armor to take the blow, which turned into little more than a pile of Ash the moment the blade made contact.

"You think this is _over_ Paladin?..." The voice of Balnazzar echoed throughout the cavern as the bats all sped away in different directions, out into the night sky. "Our journey together has only just begun..."

Silence passed over the cavern.

Pyrrha dropped Ashbringer to the ground with a clang as she turned around to watch as Jaune fell to the ground with tears streaming down his face.

" _Jaune_!..." Pyrrha cried as she knelt down and began looking him over for any injuries.

Thankfully Ashbringer had healed most of his more serious wounds when Jaune first drew it from the ground, with skin showing through his armor where wounds once lay. Unfortunately he was also obviously more than worn out by the encounter with the demon, and would be in no condition to face off with another foe, should one make itself known.

"Jaune?..."

Jaune's hands slowly reached out towards his partner, giving Pyrrha the opportunity to take them into her own. When she did a small smile passed across Jaune's tired face, a glimmer of hope in a sea of exhaustion. "I-... I thought... I thought I'd lost you..."

Pyrrha's eyes widened before she smiled, tears beginning to blue her vision as she stared down at the huntsman.

She slowly lifted Jaune into a hug, holding him up as he clung to her like a child would cling to his long lost mother. Or more accurately as one would cling to a lover. "It's alright... I'm alright now..."

She felt a tear roll down her cheek.

"And it's all thanks to you Jaune..."

After a few moments of silence between the two, the faint but still audible sounds of moving rock caught their attention, along with two faint voices that could be heard just over the sounds of shifting rubble.

"It came from over here!"

"Keep digging then!"

Pyrrha quickly helped Jaune to his feet before retrieving Ashbringer and handing it to Jaune. Once he was armed Pyrrha grabbed her own weapon from the floor, transforming it into rifle mode before aiming towards the source of the sounds of shifting rubble.

They watched with baited breath as the stones blocking the exit to the cavern slowly began to move out of the way before a sudden surge of Light burst through the entrance, causing the rest of the stones to fly out in every which direction, revealing a young Agrent Crusader.

The Crusader stood silent for a moment before he glanced down and gasped at the sight that lay before them. He then whirled around and waved his arms frantically about in the air, trying to alert whoever he seemed to be with. "Sir! Sir, I found them!"

The shuffling of footsteps filled the cavern for a few moments before a gruff looking paladin appeared at the exit along with a few other crusaders, all wearing looks of surprise on their faces.

"By the Light!" The gruff looking paladin spoke up, making his way down to Jaune and Pyrrha, who had since lowered their weapons. "It's good to see the both of you unharmed!"

" _The Ashbringer_! The boy has the Ashbringer!" Another crusader spoke up as he pointed at the sacred blade.

The gruff paladin glanced over at Jaune, a small frown forming upon his grizzled face. "Yes... He must be the one..."

"Are you sure my lord?" The first crusader asked, crossing his arms over his chest, which was covered with heavy looking plate armor that shined even in the darkness of the cavern. "The boy seems rather... _Lacking_..."

"Looks can be deceiving my friend..."

"The one?... The one what?..." Jaune wheezed out, his lungs still trying to recover from the fight. "What are you talking about?..."

"Forgive my manners. I am Lord Maxwell Tyrosus, is your name Jaune Arc young paladin?"

"Yes, it is. Why?..."

"In that case you must come quickly... Highlord Tirion Fordring has called for you by name..." Lord Maxwell explained, a look of sadness etched onto his face. It told Jaune all he needed to know before the Lord's next words were even uttered. "I fear... I fear he does not have long for this world..."

Pyrrha placed a hand on Jaune's shoulder and gave it a small squeeze.

Jaune looked down at the ground for a moment before clenching Ashbringer tightly. "...Take me to him..."

Lord Maxwell nodded once before glancing back at his Crusaders, who all drew various weapons, turning back the way they had come.

"We have to get out of here before more demons come..." Lord Maxwell instructed, watching as Pyrrha propped Jaune up by her shoulder, leading him out of the dank cavern. "Quickly, the high lord is just outside the temple. Follow me."

* * *

When Jaune and Pyrrha finally made their way outside of the cavern along with the other crusaders it was nearly dark. It seemed as though the two had been unconscious in the caverns for what seemed to be the better part of half a day, if not longer.

Judging by the prevalence of demons and the lack of Azerothian forces, it was obvious the Alliance and Horde had either withdrawn from the battlefield of had been wiped out by the Legion. Pyrrha severely hoped it would be the former.

Jaune's focus however was not on the situation of the battle as a whole, but on the figure, laying amongst a ring of crusaders that surrounded him like a ring of angels, watching over a fallen hero. And a fallen hero it was. "Jaune... Come... Closer..."

"I'm here Tirion!..." Jaune gasped out as Pyrrha lead him over to the fallen Highlord, helping him kneel beside the older man before attempting to step back in order to allow the two a chance to speak, only to be stopped by Jaune's hand, which grasped her wrist. "We're _both_ here!..."

"Jaune... You..." Tirion let out a hacking cough, a decent amount of blood flying onto the ground, staining the sand red. "You must... Take up the blade..."

"Take up the blade?... What do you-..." Jaune froze as a look of revelation crossed his face, an expression that was quickly replaced by one of panic, of desperation. "No... No, Tirion, don't talk like that!..."

"You... Must stop the Legion..."

"No Tirion! I'm no good! There are so many others who could do it!" Jaune exclaimed, looking around at the other crusaders present. Any one of them would be a million times better suited than him. They all were trained. They were all more than faithful. They were all capable. He was only a failure. "What makes you think I could possibly be worthy of wielding something like this sword?!..."

"I already told you Jaune..." Tirion wheezed out, a smile smile of pride crossing his face as he stared up at the boy he had spent the last few months of his life training. "You have... _Courage_..."

"Courage isn't enough! I can't do this alone Tirion..."

"I know you can... Jaune..." Tirion whispered, his voice growing weaker by the moment. His eyes began to fade as the last remnants of his life continued to ebb away from him. "Because... You _aren't_ alone..."

"Tirion!... Tirion please... Don't go..." Jaune cried out desperately as he clenched the old Highlord's hand, watching as Tirion's eyes closed for the final time, with his last words burning themselves into Jaune's soul. The last words of a man who had given his life for Azeorth, and for the Light.

"You must become... _The Ashbringer_..."

* * *

 **Yep! Jaune gets Ashbringer! Don't worry, he'll still be a complete spazz in every little thing he does. After all, even the best sword in the world is nothing if the swordsman using it is a giant fool. So no worries on Jaune turning into an overpowered 'cool guy'. Next chapter we'll move back to Blake on her journey to smack Wrath around the head for being an idiot!**


	22. Chapter 22: Northrend

**Hey! Okay! Not much to say this AN, thank god. No exploding iPads or family invasions. So onto the response panel and then to the chapter we go!**

 **Akshka: Well here it is! The next few chapters might be out faster than usual since they'll be shorter than usual as well.**

 **Raging Archon: Listen, if Metzen wills it, then you could have someone die like half a dozen times and still have the possibly of returning. *cough cough Ragnaros* Also I don't think I've ever heard someone call Tiroin T-Dog before... But I will be now.**

* * *

Northrend

* * *

Blake felt her entire body shake like a leaf as another howling gale of icy cold wind slammed against the lithe frame, which was only shielded by her admittedly thin clothing, along with Wrath's old cloak that he had given her back during their first few meetings. It was the latest of an uncountable amount of gusts that had struck her since she had arrived in Northrend, coating her body with a thin layer of snow that fell from the sky in a constant flurry, which refused to melt even when it landed on the warmth of her skin.

Frostbite was quickly beginning to set into the Faunus, her skin becoming numb thanks to the constant cold. If something decided to attack her right about now, there would be no way she would be able to defend herself effectively. She guessed she would barely even be able to grasp Gambol Shroud.

The worst part? She had only been there for around 5 minutes at the most.

When she had first arrived, manifesting from the portal just in front of the base of the stairs that led up to the citadel where Wrath no doubt was, she had been forced to hide almost immediately. Unfortunately Knights of the Ebon Blade were standing guard at the entrance, with a few groups even patrolling the grounds for intruders.

And the various weapons of war they wielded told Blake all she needed to know about their intentions when it came to dealing with intruders.

There would be no doubt that if ones of the patrolling Death Knights did manage to spot her it would certainly not end amicably, which was why she was now ducking and dodging between the patrols, hiding behind old plague barrels and overly large black spikes whenever she could.

Knowing that the front door was going to be about as wise an option as serving herself up to the Death Knights on a silver platter, Blake had opted to slowly make her way around the side of the citadel, only to soon find herself faced with a dead end, with no alternative entrances within reach.

"Damn..." She muttered quietly to herself as she began to scan the wall that lay before her, so tall that it disappeared into the haze of snow and wind only a few meters into the air.

Even when she strolled up to the wall visibility up its face was still next to nothing.

Eventually, after a few more seconds of scanning the large Saronite walls, she placed her hand against it, looking for any sort of hidden doors that could possibly be carefully blended into the rest of the wall.

While there were no doors she was able to find numerous large cracks running up the side of the structure, with some as small as her foot, while others were large enough to lay down flat inside of them. They had presumably been formed during the attack on Icecrown Citadel years before by the Argent Crusade, only made larger by the erosion of the harsh winds.

Eventually Blake was able to locate small crack in the wall, just at eye level. It was just large enough for her hand to fit inside, and another just above it rested as well.

Seeing this, the Faunus have a small sigh of both relief at the discovery and irritation at her situation. There was nothing for it. She would have to climb up the side of the citadel, where the Death Knight's might be able to spot her. She dearly hoped their vision was just as bad as hers in this weather.

"This is insane..." She muttered as she reached up and gripped the crack, ready to pull herself up onto the wall.

Before she did however, every bone in her body seemed to suddenly freeze when she heard the soft footsteps just above the harsh winds, along with the haunting melody of chains being dragged along the surface of the platform.

Blake quickly leapt away from the ledge, drawing Gambol Shroud and holding up in front of her, ready to deflect any projectiles that might come her way thrash the haze of the storm.

However, what she saw was much different.

Through the blinding winds of the constant storm, Blake saw the outline of a figure walking towards her slowly, their features completely unidentifiable in the gales of blinding snow. What she was able to see in the figure's hands however were what appeared to be two bladed weapons in their grip, the chains dragging behind them on the ground below.

Realizing that she was soon going to be forced to come face to face with a serious threat that was on its home turf Blake began to glance around franticly for a method of escape.

Unfortunately, instead of another path or stairway, all she was able to spot was a large mound of snow below her. It seemed to be much thicker than the rest of the snow that surrounded it and would no doubt cushion a fall, or more accurately, a jump.

Taking a moment to glance back at the figure, Blake felt her breath get stolen away by the howling winds of the north.

The figure was much closer now, and Blake could just barely make out small pieces of white armor strapped to their body, clearly splotched with blood that seemed to glow even in the haze of the howling arctic winds.

Fresh blood.

Knowing that her only options would be to either risk the jump or be to be captured by the Death Knights, Blake took in a deep breath before inching her way towards the edge of the ledge, keeping her finger on Gambol Shroud's trigger as she shimmied.

Suddenly, as if catching on to what the Faunus was attempting to do, the figure rushed forwards at an almost inhuman speed, their blurred form moving like one with the snow.

Blake quickly activated her semblance to dodge the figure, using the momentum to leap off the side of the citadel in a swan dive down to the snow below, but not before firing off a few rounds at her attacker, though they were deflected with ease.

After a few seconds of the deafening whistling of the winds as she fell through the air, the Faunus landed on the ground with a loud thud along with an undignified yelp, though thankfully the snow blunted any sort of injuries from occurring.

Before she even gave herself time to recover, Blake glanced up towards the platform, expecting to find the figure either jumping after her or launching some form of unholy spell towards her through the thick fog. Instead however, she saw nothing. Not even the glint of the figure's bloodstained armor showed through the blizzard.

Realizing that the figure most likely had intentionally vanished from sight and would no doubt be upon her at any moment Blake scrambled to her feet, making a desperate dash for a small crevice in the wall of the citadel that stood only a few feet from her.

That dash was cut off almost as quickly as it began when Blake realized a thick layer of ice was covering the crevice, sealing it off almost just as effectively as the Saronite walls of the rest of the citadel.

The operative word? Almost.

Without a hint of hesitation Blake aimed Gambol Shroud, loaded with ammo from the dwarves of Stormwind's dwarven district, towards the ice, firing a volley of rounds that soon began to form a large crack in the ice.

Once the crack had grown to a considerable size, Blake nodded once to herself before launching her foot out, giving the weak points of the ice a few powerful kicks, eventually causing the ice to shatter around her feet like broken glass.

She clambered into the crevice quickly, hoping that she had not been spotted by the figure or any other Death Knights that may have been alerted to her presence. That haste was short lived, only to be replaced by disgust as she tensed up for a moment before clamping her free hand against her face as the unmistakeable smell of rotting flesh slammed against her nose.

When her eyes finally met the source of the putrid smell, she was forced to clamp her other arm against her stomach to keep from throwing up, letting Gambol Shroud hang limply from her wrist by its ribbon, though it had not been enough for a few dry heaves to escape.

Before her laid dozens of half decayed bodies of what appeared to be cultists, kept from rotting into skeletons by the snow that coated their forms in a thin sheet. It was like some perverse form of a butchers shop.

Long dead flesh still clung to the yellow bones while their torn robes barely covered what little skin remained, though even it had turned sickly and pale from months, perhaps even years, of exposure to the cold.

Blake soon took notice that all of them appeared to either be clutching daggers in their hands or had other various weapons laying next to them, all covered in a layer of dried blood that appeared to have rusted the blades of most of the weapons.

She felt her eyes go wide as the realization that she had stumbled upon a mass ritualistic suicide fell upon her like a ton of bricks. That ice at the entrance had not been there just by coincidence or to plug up a defensive flaw. It had been there to make sure that any cultist that had not been brave enough to go through with the ritual would either die of starvation or go mad, forced to devour the flesh of their comrades.

Thankfully it seemed as if not even one of the cultists had wavered. They had all died relatively quickly, all seemingly by their own hands. By their own blades. A sickening thought, but a silver lining all the same.

Realizing that her only way into the interior of the citadel now would be found within this cave, Blake clamped her eyes shut for a moment and shook her head in an attempt to pull herself together. When she felt well enough to continue, she began to slowly creep past some of the bodies, making sure to not accidentally stepping in a handful of rotten flesh as she did so.

She had only been able to make it about halfway into the large room before the sounds of shifting cloth and bone reached her ears. Had she been a human, or even most races from Azeroth she would have heard nothing. But she was Faunus, and she heard it. She heard it clearly.

Blake quickly flicked her wrist, bringing Gambol Shroud back into her grip before bringing it up in defense, watching as skeletons that surround her begin to rattle uncontrollably before they begin to rise up one by one, the daggers that had once ended their lives finding their way into their grasp once more, this time pointed at the intruder.

Knowing that trying to run would only give the enemy more time to compose themselves Blake launched herself at one of the skeletons, cleaving it's skull in half before it was even fully risen, causing the bones to fall into a harmless pile back into the snow.

At the sounds of rattling bones behind her, Blake ducked, watching as a ceremonial dagger sailed past the area where her head once was, wielded by a skeleton who's robe still seemed to be relatively intact.

Before the skeleton could bring his blade back in preparation for another attack, Blake brought her own sword up towards the skeleton, piercing the skull and destroying it with a wail of agony as blue flames shot out of its eyes, dissipating into thin air.

As the light faded from the skeleton's eyes, Blake snapped her wrist, launching the skull impaled on her sword towards another skeleton, who slashed the impromptu projectile in half, before charging the Faunus with a sound that Blake could only imagine was some form of battle cry.

Just as it reached her and was about to take a swing, Blake activated her semblance and dodges its blow before teleporting behind him and severing the connection between his neck and skull in one swift swipe. It too fell to the ground as a useless pile of bone and cloth, never to rise again.

With her latest foe taken care of Blake bent her knees for a moment before glancing backwards. At least 4 skeletons still stood, watching to see what the huntress would try next.

Fortunately, or rather unfortunately, they did not have to wait long, for after a moment of silence Blake she shifted Gambol Shroud into gun mode before leaping backwards into the air, raining down gunfire on the skeletons that still stood, watching in satisfaction as Dwarven lead shattered the skulls of her enemies.

When she landed Blake quickly reloaded her weapon before scanning her surroundings in search of any other hostile entities that felt like challenging her ascent of the citadel.

But just as she was about to lower Gambol Shroud she saw something that made her blood run cold.

Standing silently in the entrance looking at her was the figure from before, watching the Faunus silently. Without even a word of acknowledgment the figure pointed to a location behind Blake, causing the Faunus to follow the trail of the finger. When she did she noticed a small pipe that seemed as if it would lead to the rest of the citadel.

It was only a second, two at the most before Blake glanced back to the figure. But when she did there was no one there at all. They were gone. Only the howling winds blowing a seemingly endless stream of snow into the small cavern.

Figuring that the Death Knight must have realized there were more important things to do besides chase a solitary intruder, Blake shook off the encounter and made her way towards the pipe, her nose scrunching in disgust when she noticed the thick layer of spider webs clotting the entrance.

Wasting no time she cut through the webs with her sword before she got down on her hands and knees, crawling inside of the tunnel before the Death Knight she encountered changed their mind about chasing her down.

Knowing that further delay would only result in more frostbite, Blake began crawling through the tunnel, ignoring the sounds of various creatures no doubt also crawling around in the system.

As she crawled she couldn't help but to think of how this would all turn out.

Wrath had been extremely determined to get Frostmourne after the Lich King had called him to Icecrown, and not even a group of guards along with Blake herself could stop him. And once he claimed it, would he still be the same person? Would he still be Wrath? Or would he be something much different?

After nearly a full ten minutes of crawling Blake noticed a small light in the distance, shining brightly, almost like a star in an otherwise pitch black night. She began crawling frantically towards it the moment that it entered her vision.

Eventually, after another few minutes of crawling, Blake clambered out of the tunnel and emerged in a massive room, at least as large as the auditorium of Beacon Academy, if not larger. Most of the room consisted of a large pathway that formed a ring around the perimeter. In the center of the room, separated by the pathway by way of a seemingly bottomless drop. was a massive spire of ice which had a small teleporter into its center, with only four small pathways connecting it to the rest of the citadel.

Unfortunately her way was blocked by large slabs of ice and snow. She had little doubt that she would be able to climb over them, but judging by the fact she could not even see the ground below her over the railings surrounding the ice spire, it would be much safer to just find an alternate path.

Her path decided, Blake carefully began making her way around the ring, and over to the main section of the room.

Around halfway to her destination, she began to slow. It was not of her own volition. It seemed like the air around her was suddenly becoming thinner, stealing away small amounts of oxygen with each and every breath she took. Eventually she realized that she needed to take a small break.

Suddenly, before she could even sit down, the sound of chilling laughter hit her ears, causing her eyes to fill with tears as every muscle in her body froze up all at once.

She knew that voice.

"Well well... If it isn't Blake..." The voice spoke, it's tone muddled with an echo that sent a chill down the Faunus' spine like a spear. "Mind telling me just what you think you're doing here, _My Love_?..."

That voice that haunted her each and every night in her dreams.

Blake slowly around with terror in her eyes, drawing her sword and holding it up in defense.

The voice she prayed she would never hear again.

"... _Adam_?..."

* * *

"-And so I believe, given that we still are reeling from the Legion's overwhelming power on the Broken Shore, we should look to the conscription of farm-folk residing on the outer provinces of the kingdom." The Night elven diplomat spoke, leaning back in his chair. "It would reduce the strain of food shortages in Westfall and Duskwood, and crime would no doubt fall in frequency there as well due to not having enough people to rob."

"Absolutely _not_." Anduin replied as he shook his head. "The Broken Shore was an unprecedented setback, that is true, but there are more than enough brave heroes willing and able to assist the Alliance in times such as these. Conscription would only result in animosity towards the crown, something we don't need during a major shift in power."

It had been a day since Blake's departure to Northrend. Things around the castle seemed to have calmed down, but unfortunately that also meant that Anduin had to get back to the business of damage control, as well as strengthening the Alliance in preparation for the next attack by the Legion.

Once she realized that the conversation had lulled to a point she cold possibly present her own ideas, Ruby raised her right hand tentatively, causing everyone to glance over at her with small smiles on their faces.

Anduin was the first to speak up, placing his hand on the reaper's shoulder. "You don't need to raise your hand Ruby. Go on, speak your mind."

"Um... Right, well..." Ruby stopped for a moment to sort out the words in her head before continuing. She was not entirely confident in her plan! but it was the best she had. "What if instead of making it a requirement we just give out rewards instead, that way people will _want_ to join the military. Kind of like how huntsmen and huntresses in my world are usually paid by the job."

"I see yer line o' thinkin' there lass, but what would we give'm for their service?" The Dwarven Diplomat asked, crossing his arms. Citizens were not easily swayed into military service, especially considering their current enemy.

"Well you usually give out gold for payment right? Why not just give them that?"

"Normally I would agree with you Ruby, but in this case we would be rewarding an entire _army's_ worth of soldiers. If we flood the economy with too much gold all at once, inflation will no doubt take a toll on those who did not serve in the military, and perhaps even those who did." Anduin explained with a sigh, tapping his finger loudly against the wooden table. "It would still end up causing animosity towards the crown, only at a slower pace, and with long term damage to the economy."

"Oh, alright..." Ruby conceded, growing silent for a moment before she perked right back up, her eyes bright. "Well... What about seeds? Like for apples or something."

" _Apple seeds_? Not sure I'm followin' ye lass..."

"Well apple trees are a good source of food right?" Ruby asked, receiving nods from those present. "Everyone could grow their own food and have something to eat during the summer months without having to spend so much money."

"That's... Not a bad idea." The Night Elven diplomat admitted. "It certainly would spare the economy from taking any major blows, and may solve part of the issue in Westfall regarding food shortages..."

Anduin gave the two diplomats a look of complete surprise, which they quickly returned, before all three turned to the red cloaked girl. "Ruby, if I may ask, how in the world did you think of that?"

"Oh well Yang and I used to have apple trees our dad let us grow in the backyard!" Ruby paused for a moment before her face grew hot, her stomach giving off an almost inaudible growl. "...plus I'm kinda hungry."

"I suppose that's our cue to go and see what the chefs are making for dinner." Anduin chuckled at the reapers response before turning to the two diplomats. "Thank you for your time gentlemen, I assume you'll be staying for this evening's meal?"

"Of course Prince... Er... King Anduin, it would be a pleasure." The Night Elven diplomat replied with a curt nod, which Anduin returned.

"Aye, I'll be in attendance as well!" The Dwarven Diplomat also replied, a bright grin on his face that shined even from behind his massive beard. "Yer cooks know their stuff 'round here!"

"Good to know." Anduin affirmed before he and Ruby turned from the two, heading towards the exit as the monarch gave the two diplomats a wave. "We'll see you both at dinner in that case. Until later my friends."

With that, both Anduin and Ruby disappeared into the hallways.

* * *

"I'm very surprised you came up with such a good idea Ruby." Anduin complimented as he and Ruby wandered aimlessly through the halls of Stormwind after checking up on the cooks and the progress of dinner. "I think you're beginning to get a grasp of politics."

"Thanks. To be honest apples weren't the first thing Yang and I tried to grow, but the strawberry patch ended... _Badly_..." Ruby admitted before taking a large bite of bread she had received from one of the cooks, speaking in a slightly muddled tone through the bread. "Turned out apple trees are just much easier to grow!"

Once Ruby finished consuming her small loaf of bread, she let her left arm slip quietly out of her cloak, revealing her engagement ring, which gleamed in the sunlight showing through the windows of the hallways.

She had kept the ring hidden throughout the entire meeting, using her right hand for just about everything. As she looked down upon the ring she couldn't hold in her smile. "I still can't believe it... This must be what it's like when people tell you that you're on cloud 9..."

Anduin gazed over at his fiancée, letting a hint of sadness flash across his eyes. "My father would be proud to see you wearing that ring Ruby... In the short time he knew you, you were able to convince him to do the very thing others have been working for years at..."

"Still though... It's your mother's ring..."

"All the more reason to show you gained his trust and respect." Anduin reassured, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Something that not many had the privilege of saying."

"I wish I'd gotten to know him a little better before-..." Ruby froze for a moment as her hand balled up into a tight fist, her knuckles going white nearly immediately from the pressure. "Before-..."

All the pressure in her hand was released all at once when Anduin grabbed ahold of her hand, giving it a small squeeze. "I know... So do I..."

Suddenly, just as the two released their holds on each other's hands, a small frail looking servant strolled by the two, causing Ruby to quickly hide her left arm under her robe, concealing the ring from the servant as he absentmindedly walked by, never even glancing at the reaper.

"I have to ask, why is it you're hiding it from everyone?" Anduin asked, raising an inquisitive eyebrow. "I noticed it at the meeting as well. Is something wrong?"

"Oh well, it's just... I want to show Yang before anyone else." Ruby admitted, an embarrassed smile appearing on her face. "She's always been seriously interested in me getting a social life of some kind that wasn't revolved around weapons. I'm sure she'll want to see this first."

"Very well then." Anduin replied, returning the warm smile in kind. "Why don't we go show her?"

* * *

 **Alright! We're starting to get into the final few chapters of the story! Expect some crazy stuff in the last few chapters! Until then!**


	23. Chapter 23: Echoes of the Past

**So! Guess who forgot to update Broken Wings a few days ago?!... I'm a little bit horrible in the attention span department, sorry people! Some news before I go onto the review response, I'll be traveling to Scotland for a few weeks to visit family come Friday, so while I will be reachable and updates will still be happening, things will be a little hectic. Now excuse me while I go build up my alcohol tolerance levels!**

 **Raging Archon: Well Saronite is a powerful thing, I'm sure it makes people see all sorts of funny things. Crazy Death Knights... Even crazier exes... It's like Silent Hill on steroids!... Kinda. As for Ruby and Yang, without spoiling, they'll be fine!**

 **TehUnoman: Hey, would you want to face someone like Yang without having an army at your back? Because I sure as heck wouldn't!**

 **TaekiAnahazu: Oh that was a rather old guessing game. I hadn't put the blood elf tag up yet. Sorry about the confusion, I've just been too lazy to go back and edit ANs...**

 **Drakefire: One more person will be getting an artifact! I want to make sure that I keep most of the artifacts 'open' as it were, just so the characters of the story don't all somehow gain super powered weapons while everyone else wandering Azeorth get random ones. So while we may See the other artifacts in the future, they may not be wielded by a main or even side character!**

* * *

Echoes of the Past

* * *

"Adam?... Is it really you?..." Blake asked as she stared wide eyed at the man before her. The last time she had seen him was during the Battle of Beacon, and while neither she nor Yang had sustained any serious injuries from the man, he still left them with enough smaller injuries to compensate, all while barely taking a scratch himself.

But how had he tracked her all the way to Azeroth? While it was true that more permanent portals were being established on both worlds to solidify relations, Adam was a known terrorist. He would have never been able to pass through a guarded checkpoint without gaining a few bullet holes in his back in the process.

Just as Blake was about to give in on trying to determine how in the world Adam had managed to track her to Icecrown, she caught the faintest wisps of light blue smoke trailing off the man's clothing, fading away almost immediately after meeting the air.

This was not the real Adam, this was some sort of spirit. A spirit that had somehow replicated Adam almost perfectly, down to the sword he now held up at the ready and the scowl of disgust he wore on his face.

Blake brought her own weapon to position, ready to parry any sort of dirty shots the spirit Adam may take, though her face lacked the same determination that her blade did. "Don't do something rash, we can talk about this-..."

"There's nothing to talk about." Adam interrupted, taking a quick slash at Blake, who barely dodged the swipe. "You betrayed me, and left me to fraternize with the humans!..."

Blake froze at those words. How did this spirit know about their past together? She had only told a select handful of people about her past, and none of it was what could be considered public knowledge. Yet somehow this spirit knew.

As her mind continued to swift through the possibilities of this knowledge coming to light, Blake visibly lost her composure for a moment, backing away from the spirit of her former partner. "I-... I had to!..."

"No! You didn't have to! You _Wanted_ to!" Adam spat, following Blake with each spent she took. "I saw the look on your face when you cut the connector of that train... You tried to hide it behind a frown, but I saw it! You were relieved! Relieved you got away with your _sin_!"

Blake looked down as she felt her stomach twist into a tight knot, suppressing the urge to throw up. If this wasn't Adam, it was a damn good copy.

"I left because I couldn't stand it anymore! All the killing, all the destruction..." Blake said, looking up with tears beginning to form in her eyes as she stared at the cold, unfeeling expression that she had gone so long without seeing. The expression she could have gone her whole life without seeing again. "We were becoming monsters!..."

Blake was not really sure why she was speaking to the spirit as if it were the real Adam. After all it wasn't actually him, yet for some reason while her mind could fully grasp the concept, another more instinctive part of her told her that this man was Adam, and he carried all the hatred that the real Adam did.

"That's your excuse? That we were becoming monsters?"

"Killing innocent people for some perverse self satisfaction... How is that _not_ monstrous?!"

"And when you slaughter at the behest of another? What then my love?..." Adam asked, his tone shifting to one of smug satisfaction. "What are you if not a monster?..."

"What's that supposed to mean?..." Blake hissed. With every word this spirit uttered she was becoming more and more convinced that it was somehow really Adam. No one else she knew could get under her skin like this, and this spirit was doing it masterfully.

"You know exactly what it means... After all..." Adam chuckled, pointing the tip of his red katana towards the feline Faunus as her eyes lit up in realization. "It's the reason you even bothered to come here in the first place..."

Blake growled lowly before sifting Gambol Shroud into its firearm mode, taking aim at Adam's head, her finger beginning to put pressure on the trigger. "Leave Wrath out of this..."

"And why would I do that? After all, he's living proof of your hypocrisy."

"My hypocrisy?!..."

"...Do you know what he did in his time serving the his King? How many ' _innocent_ ' people he cut down as they begged for their lives?" Adam asked, watching with a grin as Blake visibly fought back the urge to discharge her weapon. "Or did he decide to omit his past deeds?... His sins... How is that any different than the humans the White Fang has killed?"

"He told me everything... And he regrets what he was _forced_ to do, unlike you!" She replied, anger flaring up in her eyes.

"Forced, huh?... Don't you understand Blake?... He is no saint... He's a monster... He's killed before, and he will again, given the chance... The chance that his precious King is giving him now..." The spiritual White Fang leader said as his gaze turned skyward, towards the top of the spire. Towards the Frozen Throne. "Accept it, he's just like me..."

"He's _nothing_ like you..."

Adam let out a haunting laugh at the words of his former lover. With his free hand he slowly reached up to remove his mask, revealing a charred skull with only the barest scraps of skin and flesh attached to the bone where the top half of his face should have been.

"You have no idea... The rage that burns in my heart because of what you did to me..." The spiritual Adam muttered, dropping the mask off the side of the platform before taking a grip of his sword with both hands. "Nothing is as fierce as the anger I feel for you... And now.. I can finally release it!"

With that the spirit Adam charged forwards attempting to swing for Blake, only dodged at the last moment when the Faunus used her semblance to dodge the attack, appearing behind the spirit.

He was quick to spin around and take another host of swipes at the huntress, but each one was parried with Gambol Shroud, though it was obvious she was beginning to have trouble keep up with the onslaught, granting him several openings for less lethal blows.

After nearly a full minute of constant fighting Blake jumped away from the spiritual image of her former lover, covered from head to toe in small scratches that just barely broke her skin, causing small trails of blood to slowly dribble down her limbs.

Realizing that a traditional approach would only end with her sustaining more injures Blake darted forwards and fainted with her sword before attempting kick him back in an effort to disorientate him. Unfortunately the spirit Adam seemed to be anticipating that very move and ducked it with ease before rushing forwards, slamming one of his horns into her thigh, sending her sprawled out on the ground, clutching her leg.

Before Blake could recover from the blow and bring herself back to her feet, Adam strode over and slammed a foot down on her stomach, holding it there as he glared down at her, the sockets where his eyes once were flaring up in a red glow. "Living with the humans has softened you up... You used to be so much better than this..."

"I am better! I'm not some scared kid who'll listen to every little word you say anymore!" Blake hissed as she gripped Gambol Shroud and prepared to strike at Adam's Achilles tendon.

"And look where that got you..." Adam muttered, kicking Gambol Shroud away before Blake could strike, sending it clattering across the frozen floor of the platform.

"Freedom. That's what I got for it-..."

Adam suddenly yanked the scabbard for his sword from his belt, whipping Blake across the face, leaving a red mark that almost instantly began to turn a sickly shade of purple. "That's what it gets you... You're nothing but a disobedient child..."

Blake said nothing in response, instead grabbing Adam's ankle, attempting to pull it off her stomach. Unfortunately instead of removing his foot, Adam merely growled and dug his boot into her stomach, grinning at Blake's gasp of pain.

"You locked away your inner monster... That's why you'll never succeed..." Adam growled, lifting his foot away from Blake, who glanced up in confusion at the actions of the man, only for that look of confusion to twist into one of pain as he suddenly kicked her in the side, sending her rolling away towards the railing.

She stopped only feet from the edge of the platform, her eyes catching a glimpse of the nearly bottomless drop she would be greeted with if Adam decided to kick her again.

"It's too bad... I had been hoping to face off against the White Fang Lieutenant I had once loved so dearly..." The spirit Adam mused, walking over to plant the heel of his shoe back against Blake's ribcage. "But all I got was this worthless human sympathizer who refuses to even put up a fight..."

"That White Fang Lieutenant is dead... She was replaced with someone much better..." Blake replied as she glanced up at the spiritual representation of her former love, a content smile on her face.

"Better?..." Adam hissed as he spit on her face, hoping to eliminate her smile before it grew so annoying that he would feel urge to strike her again. "This is what you call better?..."

"...Yeah..." Blake only looked back up at Adam, the same smile still worn. "It _is_..."

By the time Adam realized why Blake was smiling it was far too late.

As he glanced over at Blake's hands, he realized that in his anger he had inadvertently kicked Blake towards Gambol Shroud and that she was now reaching for it, her fingers wrapping around the hilt.

" _No_!"

Before he could think to move against her, Adam watched as Blake pulled the trigger on the sword as she activated her semblance. She was behind him in an instant, giving him only a moment to party the strike she had aimed at his head.

Adam quickly began to lose ground as Blake kept slashing in a relentless onslaught that nearly ended in his decapitation on more than one occasion.

"There..." Adam gasped as he blocked yet another strike, only to be forced to duck under a small hail of fire as Blake shifted Gambol Shroud into its gun mode, taking a few pot shots at the spirit, though even they were deflected by Adam's blade. "Now this is more like it..."

Blake responded by shifting her weapon back to its melee state, charging Adam before teleporting behind him and slashing open his back, watching with satisfaction as he stumbled forward in a stupor.

Before Adam had a chance to recover from the blow, Blake teleported in front of him, sending her foot up to connect with his chin, sending him onto his back, clutching his now broken jaw.

Adam had not even been on the ground for more than a second or two before he felt unmistakable pain of Gambol Shroud's tip tearing through his flesh, impaling his heart. He coughed up a decent amount of blood as his half rotten face looked up in surprise, only for that look to quickly shift to a hate filled glare.

Blake stared down at the half rotted face of the spiritual Adam for one last moment as she tore her sword from his chest before swinging at his throat, the runes on her sword glowing as she slashed through his throat, nearly severing the head in one clean strike, the arterial spray coating both her blade and her hands in the crimson liquid.

Blake quickly turned away from the scene, making her way for the teleporter that rested in the middle of the room, carved into the spire of ice that stood tall, reaching high into the ceiling and beyond.

She made it only so far however before she came to an abrupt stop as the distorted sound of Adam chuckling filled her ears, causing her to whip around, ready for another attack, only to see something much different.

"See Blake?... You can run from me as much as you want... You can run from your past with the White Fang..." Adam whispered horsely as his body rose up slowly, despite his throat being slashed, his head hanging on only muscle by one side, his esophagus exposed to the world. "But you'll never be able to run... From who you are..."

With that, Adam fell over, seemingly dead. As the spirit's energy faded away, it's body began to evaporate rapidly, flesh and bone fading into little more than light blue smoke that dissipated, eventually revealing Blake's own White Fang mask, cut in half from a sword slash.

The Faunus shot her gaze down at the belt she had been carrying the mask on in surprise, only to find that the mask was indeed missing.

That was how the citadel was able to create the spirit Adam. That had been the reason the man who's pretense had haunted her was able to appear before her. Somehow the magics of the citadel had been able to tap into her darkest emotions in an effort to halt her progress, to stop her from reaching the Frozen Throne.

Yet still, she overcame them.

Taking one last at the mask which she had spent so long wearing, Blake strolled over and pressed her foot against the mask crushing it under her, a small smile appearing on her face as she felt the ceramic shatter under her heel. "I know who I am Adam... And I don't intend to run..."

She glanced once more over at the teleporter that led to the Frozen Throne.

"Never again..."

* * *

"You need to see Yang? Now?" Varimas asked in exasperation as he peered out of his cracked open door, a new Felfume mask adorning his face.

"Yeah. We have some news for her!..." Ruby chirped in reply with a bright smile, completely oblivious to Varimas' tone.

Anduin, who stood behind the little reaper, had not seemed to notice either, instead choosing to pay particularly close attention to a nearby tapestry, though Varimas was sure that was merely an act. After all, for a human, Anduin was quite perceptive.

"Can it wait? Now's not exactly the best of times." The Warlock asked, this time his tone more harsh, hoping Ruby would get the hint. "The fight with Mephistroth wore us both out, and Yang needs time to rest."

"But it's really, _really_ important..."

Of course she didn't. Why had Varimas not expected that? Oh well, the direct approach it was. "Ruby, it's not a good idea. She's currently in a state you might not want to see her in..."

"She's my sister though. I don't care how she looks. She needs to know first." Ruby whined, her silver eyes shimmering brightly as she clasped her hands together. "Please Varimas?..."

"... _Fine_..." Varimas relented, opening the door to both the reaper and the King, inviting them into the dimly lit room. "But don't say I didn't warn you..."

Anduin and Ruby were quick to accept the invitation, however the moment that they were in the room, Ruby's stomach flipped as she realized that adhering to Varimas' warning may have been for the best after all.

Laying almost frozen in the bed, with magical tomes floating around her and Carcharoth standing over her, tendrils dug into her shoulder, was Yang, staring back with a lifeless gaze, her normally bright lilac pupils no more than a dull blue that betrayed no emotion.

"Wh-...what's he doing?..." Ruby asked as she held back the instinct to walk over and rip Carcharoth right off of her sister.

"Carcharoth there is a Felhunter. They have an affinity for siphoning the magic out of their victims using the tendrils on their backs." Varimas explained with a sigh. He knew letting Ruby in would be a bad idea. "Right now he's doing the opposite. He's forcing magic into her in order to kickstart her power so that it operates normally again... Not the most pleasant of procedures, but it was the only option open to us on such short notice."

Ruby covered her mouth for a moment and stared, watching as Carcharoth continued his work, the wounds that the tendrils had caused pulsating with green Fel energy, illuminating the veins that surrounded the area.

"I told you that it wasn't going to be easy to see her like this..."

Ruby said nothing in response, merely taking a deep breath before walking over to her sisters side. Carcharoth was quick to notice the little reaper turning to her with a low growl, only retreats after a moment once he realized who was approaching, removing the tendrils that had been dug into the flesh of Yang's shoulders.

Yang, who was quite obviously barely conscious, looked over and attempted to put on the best smile she could, though in the end she was able to muster up little more than a tired grin. "Hey Rubes... What's up?..."

"Yang... What happened to you?..." Ruby asked as she scanned the length of Yang's body, along which multiple sections were wrapped with blood soaked bandages. "I heard you'd gotten a little hurt fighting at the Broken Shore, but this-..."

"Is fine sis... Could've been a lot worse honestly."

"But what happened? Did a demon blindside you?..."

"Nah... We kicked it's butt." Yang attempted to chuckle and give off her usual toothy grin. Letting Ruby know how much pain she was truly in would do no good for anyone, least of all the little reaper. She had to be strong for her. "It just happened to know a trick or two is all..."

"A trick or two?!..." Ruby cried, motioning towards her sister's heavily bandages torso and limbs. "It looks like it chewed you up and spit you out!..."

"Gee, _thanks_ Rubes..."

"Oh. Right. Sorry!..." Ruby replied, giving off an apologetic smile before her eyes lit up, sparkling with excitement once more. "Oh but forget that for a sec! Guess what, guess what, _guess what_?!"

Yang smiled, her eyes drooping. She was obviously exhausted. "Sup?..."

Ruby visibly trembled as she bit her lip, trying to hide her smile before holding out her hand, giving Yang an ample view of the diamond ring on her sister's finger, gleaming even in the dull green light of the room.

"...Ruby, is that a-..."

 _"YES!"_

Yang attempted to chuckle at her younger sisters enthusiasm, only succeeded in a little cough that sent a wave of pain throughout her rip cage. "Well congratulations. When do I get to kick the groom's ass?"

Anduin was quick to approach Yang's bedside, giving the blonde brawler a smile as he drew close. "Ruby here figured that you should be the first to know."

"Darn right!..." Yang replied, an ounce of energy returning to her. As she spoke a bit of life seemed to return to her once empty lilac eyes, a small shine manifesting in her pupils. "After all, we're talkin' about my sister getting hitched here!..."

As Yang spoke, Ruby quietly balled up her hands, a hopeful look in her eyes as she gazed over at her bedridden sister.

"Hey Yang?" The little reaper asked, drawing Yang's attention back to her sister. "Would you mind walking me down the isle?..."

"Of course I will you goof, why wouldn't I?"

"Well..." Ruby replied by motioning towards the many bandages that covered Yang's torso, which very closely resembled that of a mummy's. "You know... Will you be _okay_ to do it?... I don't want you to end up more hurt because of something stupid like that."

Instead of responding, Yang glanced over at Varimas, an uncharacteristically serious expression etched onto her face. "Hey Var, how good're the chances I can be on my feet for the wedding?"

"Given your condition... I would say that you could be on your feet again in around a week, but running and fighting won't be an option for quite a while. A month or so at the very least." Varimas explained, crossing his arms as he gazed up at the ceiling in thought. "But yes, you'll be able to hand Ruby off, even if the wedding is relatively soon."

Yang have a small sigh of relief. "That's fine. At least I'll be able to walk Ruby down the isle..."

"If I may ask, is it customary for siblings to hand each other off in your world?" Anduin asked. "Usually it's left up to the parent of the bride to handle the handoff process, and if neither are present, it usually falls to the bride to walk herself."

"It's the same on our world actually..." Yang replied with a disheartened sigh. "But our father is probably still on Remnant. With everything that's happened we just haven't had the time to go searching for him... And as for our mother..."

Ruby became visibly downcast at her sisters words, while Anduin nodded solely in understanding. It was a feeling he was all to familiar with. Life without a mother to guide your hand. "I'm aware... Ruby informed me of what happened..."

Ruby and Yang seemed to develop an almost visible dark aura that surrounded the two. "It's better if I walk her down the isle... We've always been by each other's sides for the worst days of our lives... Might as well be around for the best of the them too, right?..."

Thinking quickly, Anduin clapped his hands together, a forced smile appearing on his face. He really could use some good news to cheer the two sisters up right about now. "Right! Well enough with that, why don't we all-..."

Anduin was suddenly interrupted by what he would later chalk up as the Light answering his prayers in the form of a guardsman sprinting through the doorway, giving the King a hasty salute.

"Your Highness! Come quickly!" The guardsman urged, still out of breath from running from wherever he had come. "The Argent Crusaders and the Ashbringer have returned from the Broken Shore!"

"Highlord Fordring..." Anduin asked, his eyes going wide. The others in the room also shared the same reaction, though some were louder about it than others. "Are you positive solider? I have recieved multiple reports from credible sources telling me that Tirion met his demise at the hands of the Legion."

"No sire, _not_ Tirion. It's the _boy_!" The guardsman exclaimed, motioning towards the door, a bright smile on his face. "He and the green eyed warrior have returned with Ashbringer in hand!"

" _What_?! Jaune and Pyrrha?!" Ruby asked, the same bright smile making its way to her own lips as she used her semblence to bolt out of the door, nearly knocking over the guard in the process.

Carcharoth, thinking it was some sort of game, also bounded out of the door, this time felling the guard, sending the young man over onto his back with a grunt of pain.

"I suppose I better go stop Carcharoth before he gives Ruby an unexpected running tackle." Varimas chuckled before also stepping out, making it a point to step on the guards cuirass before making his way down to the entrance of the castle.

Anduin chuckled softly as he watched as the guard shakily brought himself to his feet, giving a poor attempt at a bow before limping away, his arm clenched against his stomach where Varimas had slammed his boot.

"Hey.. Anduin..." Yang finally spoke up once Ruby and Varimas were long gone, her voice back to its weakened state. She had obviously put forth quite a bit of effort to seem better than she actually was for Ruby's sake.

Anduin strolled back over to the bedside of the brawler, giving her a warm smile. "Yes Yang?"

"My voice is getting sore... Can you lean in?..."

"Um... I suppose." Anduin replied as he followed Yang's instructions, leaning in until he was no more than a foot or two from the female blonde. "Is this close enough?"

"Yeah... Yeah that's fine... I just wanted to let you know that you've done a lot to earn my respect... You've treated Ruby like she's the most important thing on the planet, but... You've also treated her like an _adult_." Yang said, causing Anduin's eyes to light up in surprise. "You act like she's just as integral to your kingdom as you are... And not many people have been able to do both..."

"How did you know about that?..."

"Don't think I'm stupid." Yang grinned. "I know more than my share of tricks..."

"Well I suppose that's a good to-..."

Suddenly, with surprising strength, Yang shot her hand out, yanks Anduin down by the collar of his jacket until he was no more than a few inches from her face. The King looked up in surprise to find Yang's lilac eyes were a deep blood red, redder than he'd ever seen. Her face was not showing anger, it was showing a killers intent.

"But if you ever even think about hurting my sister... King or not, no one will be able to save you from me... _Got it_?..."

Yang had expected Anduin to act afraid, to run out of the room, or to at the very least begin to tremble in fear like any other boy who had dared encroach upon Ruby. But instead all she received was a soft smile along with a concise, "Got it."

Yang gave a nod of acceptance before flopping her arm back down on the bed, shutting her eyes and stretching. "Good. Now go do your kingly things. I need a 15 hour nap!..."

"Very well, I'll leave you too it then." Anduin chuckled, giving a bow before making himself scarce so he could make his way to the entrance to greet the survivors of the Broken Shore.

When Yang was more than sure Anduin was gone, she slowly lifted her hand up into the air, making a fist as she stared up longingly at the ceiling. "Hey Supermom... Dunno if you can hear me up there... But you'd be real proud of Ruby right about now... She's found someone..."

Yang swore she felt a cool breeze flow throughout her room at that moment, bringing an aura of comfort around her like a shroud.

"Someone _really_ special..."


	24. Chapter 24: Frostmourne

**Alright! Let's keep this explanation short! The next few chapters will be shorter and come out days apart from each other since it paces better like this, at least for these chapters! Let's go!**

 **Raging Archon: The reason it did that is because Blake hasn't seen Adam's face in years, so she no longer knows what he looks like, and therefor the citadel could only go off of what was stored in her thick skull.**

 **Akshka: Don't worry, Yang still has the potential to go postal.**

 **Drakefire: You're really going to like the next few chapters in that case...**

* * *

Frostmourne

* * *

As Jaune walked slowly through the entrance of Stormwind Keep, a notion in his mind, previously buried for the last few months thanks to the chaos that had entered his life, brought itself forward into his waking conscious once more.

Ruby Rose could tackle with the force of a SDC Train on a mission.

"Oh my God Jaune we missed you so much we thought you were dead!" Ruby rattled out with the speed of a machine gun as she clung to the blonde young man with a vice like grip, with only his armor saving him from death by asphyxiation.

Unfortunately his armor did nothing to stop the force of Ruby's assault from sending them both to the ground.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha cried in distress as Jaune and Ruby were both felled, landing with an uncomfortably loud crash that echoed throughout the great hallway.

"It's good! I'm good!..." Jaune struggled against the grip of his fellow team leader for a moment before letting his arms fall to his sides, realizing she was clamped to him like a vice. "Okay, maybe I'm not good. Can someone pry her off me please?"

Pyrrha only gave the two a kindhearted smile before strolling over and prying Ruby off.

As she was lifted away from Jaune however, Ruby was quick to spot the Ashbringer slung across Jaune's back, the blade glowing a dull yellow that seemed to radiate an aura of peace.

"Oh! Oh I forgot!" Ruby cried upon noticing the sword, wriggling out of Pyrrha's grip before running for a nearby doorway that lead down a hall. "Wrath brought something back from the Broken Shore you might want! I'll go get it!"

She was gone before anyone could think to stop her.

"Well, it's good to see that Ruby has been able stay positive throughout this whole ordeal." Pyrrha pointed out, leaning against on of the nearby pillars.

"Yeah." Jaune agreed, a peaceful smile forming on his face, though his words betrayed that smile so easily, worry taking place of what should have been contentment. "Something tells me we'll be needing any positive vibes she can give off in the days to come."

A few moments later Ruby zipped back holding a cloth covered object in her grip, which she held out to Jaune with a sigh. "Here it is. Sorry it's not... Quite how it used to be."

Jaune gingerly took the object from Ruby's grasp, and upon unwrapping the object, immediately recognized the hilt of Corcea Mors staring back at him. With a small amount of hesitation, he let the cloth fall away from the rest of the sword, revealing the shattered blade of the once proud weapon.

Pyrrha sighed when the broken blade came into her view.

"I'm sorry Jaune..." She muttered as she placed a tender hand on Jaune's shoulder, staring down at the weapon that Jaune had attempted to stop Gul'dan with. "I know that was an important heirloom to you and your family..."

"Oh don't worry about it Pyr." Jaune replied with a shrug, despite the sad frown that lay upon his features. Part of him had hoped he would never have to see the broken sword again, so that he would not be reminded of another of a long list of failures. "I guess this just means it'll go where it belongs, above a fireplace."

"Auch!... Now why would ye' go and do that, eh?" A voice echoed out from across the room, causing the three Beacon students to turn to face the source, only to find the Dwarven diplomat from Dun Morough walking towards them.

Jaune was the first to recover from the interruption, holding the sword out for the dwarf to see. "Oh, well I mean... It's broken so-..."

"That's what ye' call a broken sword?! A proper dwarf could have that fixed up in a day!" The Dwarven Diplomat explained, finally reaching the group. The two females of the group quickly made way for the short but stout dwarf, giving him a direct path to Jaune.

"Wait... So it can be repaired? It's not broken forever?" The Paladin asked curiously, taking a moment to glance down at the sword once more.

"Of course not ye silly bastard! Gee'it here." The Dwarven a Diplomat ordered, taking the sword from Jaune's grasp when it was offered. With what seemed to be a trained eye, the Dwarf began examining the weapon, running a stubby finger along the flat of the blade. "Aye... It's nae gonna be quite the length that it used to be, but I'd reckon ye could still get a nice wee short sword out of this."

"How short?"

"Around 19 or so inches, if we just flatten the blade a wee bit more." The Dwarven diplomat explained before glancing up, meeting Jaune's gaze. "Though... Even though I am offerin'... With a blade like the Ashbringer, I don't see why ye'd even need a backup..."

"O-oh!... Well, I don't think I'll be the one wielding it."

The Dwarf shrugged at the paladin's comment, taking the cloth from Ruby before wrapping the blade once more. With that done he tucked the sword under his arm and nodded. "Suit yerself, I'll bring it to me mates down in the dwarven district tonight, see what we can do tae fix this wee bugger."

The Dwarf disappeared a few moments later, hobbling down the hallway from which Ruby had come, the shattered sword in tow.

"Erm, Jaune?" Ruby spoke up once the Dearf was gone, prompting the Knight to glance over at the reaper.

"Yeah?"

"Who else would even use Corcea Mors besides you?" Ruby asked, giving her friend a shrug of her own. "No offense."

"I've... Got a good idea as to who can wield it now."

* * *

Yang hated not being able to move. Hated it more than any demon she had seen so far. hated it more than Cinder. She probably hated it more than having her precious hair damaged!...

...Probably anyway...

Every time she would be so bold as to even attempt to move from her laying position, a strong stitch in her side would cause her to groan loudly in pain before falling back to the bed like a defeated dog, ready to be killed.

Amidst her self loathing, Yang suddenly heard the door of her room opening quietly. So quietly that the normally squeaking hinges of the doorway didn't even utter a peep.

"Hey Var did you forget someth-..." Yang cut herself off when she opened her eyes to find that it was not Varimas who stood before her, but a Night Elf, who's body was completely covered in strange Fel-Green tattoos, along with a strange cloth wrap that covered his eyes from the world. The most notable feature however, were the two large horns that stuck out of his head, giving him the appearance of a demon. "Woah... Did you have a run in with a tattoo artist with a nasty disposition?"

"Forgive my intrusion my lady, but I couldn't help but to notice the groans of pain coming from this room." The Night Elf began, giving the blonde a small bow as he entered the room.

"Oh it's cool I just-..."

"And the overwhelming amount of demonic energy seeping from you." He interrupted as he shut the door behind him. At that moment his eyes seemed to suddenly shine through the sash, glowing a bright Fel-Green.

Yang's breath caught in her throat at her eyes lit up in panic.

The blindfolded man stalked over to her bedside quickly, dodging any loose items or book strewn about on the floor. Despite appearances, Yang noted, this elf was far from blind. "My name is Altrius... I was once an officer in an organization known as the Illidari. An army of those who have only one goal in this world... The Legion's destruction."

"Hey, hold on buddy! I don't know what you're thinking in that spiky head of yours but I'm not a demon!" She replied, anger and fear beginning to grow within her as she began to wonder what intentions this man had for her.

"I never said you were." The Illidari replied pointedly, a wicked grin appearing on his face. A grin that Yang quickly realized that she disliked. It exuded ill intent. "No, no... I've actually come to offer you an opportunity of sorts."

"Opportunity?" She asked, the suspicion in her voice clear.

"Yes.. You see... With the amount of demonic energy stored inside of your body you would no doubt be a dangerous tool that the Legion could exploit at any time." The Illidari explained, looming over Yang's beside like a predator waiting to strike. "I'm sure a demon with enough power could feasibly bend you to its will with little effort."

Yang said nothing in response, only looking away to the side.

Unfortunately her silence told the blindfolded man all he needed to know. With a dark chuckle he asked, "It's already happened... Hasn't it?"

"So what if it has?..."

"What if I told you that I could offer you a resistance against that pull. What if I told you that I could make it so that any attempt by the demons made to control you would be met by only their obliteration by your hand?" The Night Elf's words caused Yang to glance back towards her uninvited guest.

"I would tell you to keep talkin'..."

The Illidari smiled once more, this time a more genuine one, absent of most of the malevolence of those previous, though it still put Yang on edge. "Blunt. An admirable trait when employed correctly."

With that, the Illidari held out a small insignia, watching as Yang gazed at the trinket with trepidation.

"Now... About my offer..."

* * *

The first sensation Blake felt when she stepped into the teleportation device was the harsh cold of a thousand icicles being forced through her heart at once, spearing her in their icy grasp.

The second was the sting in her heart when she spotted the one she was searching for, standing before what she assumed to be the seemingly immobile form of the Lich King, sealed in a massive case of ice.

She was then quick to notice a massive, radiating ball of raw power forming between them, causing a new feeling of anguish to tug at her heart as realization hit her like a truck.

She knew that in that swirling vortex of power was the blade that first made Wrath a Death Knight. The one that had taken his home, his people, and nearly his life from him. The one that gave him the scar that forever marred his skin.

The one that had taken so much from Azeroth already.

Frostmourne.

Building up what little courage remained in her heart, Blake stepped forwards into the tornado, reaching out towards the Death Knight with a shaking limb, her face pelted by hail and winds all the while.

And when she reached him, with a voice that seemed to cut through the howling winds enveloping the throne, she called out a name that seemed to freeze time itself. A name that had not been spoken since the day that Quel'Thalas had fallen. A name that Wrath never thought he would hear again.

The name of the man who stood before her.

" _ZAILAN! STOP!"_


	25. Chapter 25: O'Thanagor

**Well, there isn't much to say in this AN other than I have a small announcement! I'm writing my own book with an original story (I know, I'm a heretic). So once it's been completed, probably a few months from now, I'll let you know on whatever chapter of the sequel we're on!... Er... I announced there was a sequel to this right?... No? Well there's gonna be a sequel!**

 **Raging Archon: It's been his name since chapter 2 believe it or not. It was REALLY hard to not give it away earlier. Yang will (probably) be fine! And as for Corcea Mors.. Well, you'll see.**

 **Cody The Worldwalker: Well we'll have to see just what Altruis' deal Really entails won't we? And don't worry, the wedding comes soon!**

 **Akshka: Here you go!**

 **S.D.R the Fifth: I intentionally kept that plot point ambiguous that way either choice could be considered cannon while still making sense. So even if Kayn was chosen, the events would have still happened.**

* * *

O'Thanagor

* * *

 _"ZAILAN! STOP!"_

At those words the entire platform seemed to freeze in time as the storm which had once pelted against the faunus' skin died down in a matter of seconds, while both Zailan and the Lich King turned their attention to her.

"Blake?..." Zailan whispered as the harsh look which had dominated his features mere moments ago was replaced by one of sadness and surprise.

"Yes, it's me Zailan..." Blake replied as she tentatively began to make her way over to the Blood Elf, keeping a small spread of her attention on the Lich King, should he have attempted anything while she was preoccupied.

"How do you know that name?..." Zailan's voice was not one of anger, or even annoyance, though Blake could easily hear the edge. No, this was the voice of someone who was tired.

"It's doesn't matter how I know. It only matters that I know." She replied, keeping her own tone level.

Despite that however, Zailan seemed to take what she uttered as a challenge, the frown on his face reappearing as his eyes glowed bright with runic power. "Why are you here? I told you not to interfere."

"Well I didn't listen." Blake said, crossing her arms as she reached the Death Knight, standing face to face with him.

"I can see that..." Zailan muttered. Despite Blake being nearly a foot shorter than him, she showed no fear, and only stared up at him with eyes that shined with determination. "Why didn't you?..."

"Of course I wouldn't listen. Why would I?" Blake asked, not breaking eye contact with the elf. "You're telling me you wanted to abandon you just because you _Told_ me to?"

" _Yes_!"

"Well it doesn't work that way Zailan!"

"Zailan is _dead_!..."

"No, he's _not_!..." Blake hissed out as she poked Zailan's chest-plate harshly, though it did next to nothing except for chill her finger to the bone. "He's standing right in front of me, acting as stubborn as usual!"

"I'm not stubborn! I'm trying to protect you!"

"And what did I tell you when we first met?!" Blake asked before drawing Gambol Shroud and pointing to its blade. "I don't need protection! I'm a perfectly capable fighter on my own!"

"Right! My people didn't think they needed protection either! We didn't think we ever had to work with other races to succeed! And you know what it ended up getting _us_?!" Zailan yelled, runic energy beginning to swirl around him as his emotions began to physically manifest themselves. "90% of my race was wiped out by the Scourge, with no way to escape! No allies to come to our rescue!"

"The Scourge, the undead army lead by the man who's sword you're about to take up!"

"It's the only way I can gain enough power to stop the Legion!" Zailan countered, throwing his arms into the air in exasperation. "You saw what they could do firsthand on Remnant! Why wouldn't I take it up?!"

"So you don't become the monster you claim to hate so much!"

Zailan was silent for nearly a full minute before opening his mouth again, letting only the barest of whispers escape his lips. "...You didn't see it Blake..."

"I didn't see what?..."

"You didn't have to watch Varian die... Gul'dan... He... After Varian destroyed the Fel Reaver he..." Zailan clenched his fist as his voice began to waver. "Varian was my friend... He may have been human, but he trusted me, and I trusted him... And I should've been able to save him... But I couldn't even save myself..."

"What do you mean? You survived that..."

"I _wouldn't_ have if it wasn't for Sylvanas' Val'kir..." Zailan admitted, his head bowed in shame. "If one hadn't swooped down into the chaos when I hid and retrieved Shalamayne..."

"But even so, at least you survived... That's what's important..."

"And what about Varian?! He should've been the one to survive, not me! He was the King of the Alliance!" His head darted up, though the runic energy which once surrounded him had long faded away, back into his body. "I'm just a poor excuse for a Death Knight who can't even face what he's done..."

Silence passed over the platform, silence that was only broken by the distant winds that flowed throughout the lands, as if Northrend itself was watching events unfold. Even the Lich King, who had up to that point been silent, seemed to watch the two with great interest.

"When I was ascending this citadel I was... _compelled_ to take a moment to reflect on the past, and people from my past... People I'd rather forget... Events I wish had never happened..." Blake said as she finally sheathed Gambol Shroud, reattaching it to the magnetic holster on her back. "But you can't change the past, no matter what you do in the present..."

Zailan opened his mouth to speak once more, only for Blake to grab his shoulders gently and pressing herself against him, effectively silencing him.

"All that matters now is what's ahead. Running from our pasts won't change them, and neither will driving ourselves to be the very things we claim to hate so much." Blake glanced up, her eyes widening in surprise. "And if we-... Zailan?..."

Blake noticed as tears began to fall from the Death Knight's eyes, though his face remained in its neutral state.

"I just... I can't lose anyone else..." Zailan whispered as he slowly brought himself to the ground and covered his face with his hands, his voice finally cracking as sat there on the cold ground before the young woman who had become his lifeline in the chaos of the last year. "I can't lose you..."

Blake stood stock still at that moment, her wide eyes locked down at the Death Knight below as his next words engraved themselves into her heart.

"Because I _love_ you..."

After a few more moments of silence Zailan slowly began to pull himself to his feet without bothering to glance up, afraid to see the shame no doubt present on Blake's face.

However, his ascent was quickly blocked as he suddenly found Blake's lithe from in his grasp.

"... _You won't_..."

Zailan's eyes went as wide as saucers as he felt the unmistakeable feeling of Blake's lips softly coming into contact with his own, both of them falling back down to the ground as the Death Knight's legs seemed to suddenly lose all function at that very moment.

Not even an instant later he seemed to lose all semblance of control, only letting himself accept the sensation as he closed his eyes, enjoying the moment of bliss for what it was.

However, once he finally did find it in himself to open his eyes once more, he took one look at Blake's face before instinctively grabbing her, pulling her against his chest. Instead of slipping out of the Knight's grasp, Blake merely let herself fall into his chest and waited patiently as soft sobs began to overtake the knight.

"Wrath has been strong for so long..." Blake whispered, taking one of Zailan's hands in her own, squeezing it as the elf continued to sit there, silently letting tears fall from his eyes. "It's time to let Zailan weep..."

Silence passed over the two. Neither spoke for what felt like an eternity. Neither wanted to. Neither had to.

Eventually, after what seemed like an eternity of silence, Zailan seemed to recover, slowly brining himself to his feet before offering his hand silently to Blake, which she gladly accepted, letting him help her to her feet.

However, before either elf or Faunus could say anything, a harsh chill suddenly shot down Blake's spine, causing her to turn her attention to the one who was no doubt the reason behind it. The man who sat upon the Frozen Throne, gazing down at them.

 **"You have both done well to make it so far..."** Lich King's voice echoed throughout the throne, the howling winds seeming to amplify his already booming tone. **"Ascend to my throne, and receive your charge..."**

Zailan and Blake were both quick to approach the throne, neither wishing to anger the king of the damned. The orb of power which had once floated between Zailian and the Lich King also slowly followed them up to the King, lingering just behind the elf and Faunus.

When they finally reached the top, standing just before the throne the ball of power suddenly shot above them, glowing brightly as arcs of electricity and runic energy shot from every which direction in a violent show of power.

When that erratic display of raw energy finally faded back into the orb, the power surrounding the objects inside finally dissipated, revealing two runic blades that slowly began drift down into Zailan's waiting grip.

 **"Icebringer and Frostreaper... These shall be the blades from which you will wreak havoc across the ranks of the Legion, and all others who choose to stand against you."**

The moment that the blades touch his palms, Zailan's armor suddenly began to glow, the metal twisting and turning as the power of the previous Lich King and the blades that were once Frostmourne flowed through the elf.

 **"I now mark you with my sigil, let all recognize you as the enforcer of my will."** The Lich King remarked as he watched the armor transform.

Eventually that glow also faded away, revealing the Dreadwyrm Plate armor that now replaced Zailan's old armor, runic power seeming to flow from every crevice of metal.

 **"As we speak, the Ebon Blade is en route to the Broken Isles to hunt for the Dreadlords. Go, ensure that not a single demon escapes my wrath!"** The Lich King commanded, his voice booming with absolute authority. **"Crush all those who stand in your way!"**

Zailan only nodded in response before he and Blake turned to leave, descending the icy stairs back down to the main platform of the throne room.

 **"Claim your destiny Deathlord..."**

Zailan quickly pulled out a scourge stone to begin the process of creating a portal, letting silence pass over the throne room.

In that one brief moment though, as Blake glanced around, waiting for Zailan to complete the portal, she could have sworn that through the haze of wind and snow, a lone figure floated just beyond the platform, looking down upon the events that had unfolded.

His golden hair billowed down to his shoulders in cascading locks that seemed to perfectly complement the blue and golden armor that adorned his body, with the large hammer in his grasp only adding to the radiance that he exuded.

What was most prevalent though, was the smile of pride that he wore, shining even through the darkness of the storm.

It was a smile of a man at peace.

When she blinked however, he was gone. Vanishing into the horizons of the Frozen Wastes.

"Blake?" Zailan asked, causing Blake to snap her gaze back in the direction of the elven knight. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, everything's fine." Blake replied, glancing back over at the spot where she could have sworn she had seen the apparition. "I just thought I saw-..."

"Saw what?"

"Never mind. I'm sure it was nothing." Blake waved it off. She was probably just beginning to get light headed due to the sheer altitude of the throne room from the lands below. "Come on, let's go. Anduin and the others will be waiting for us."

Zailan nodded in agreement before they both stepped into the portal, leaving the Lich King, Bolvar Fordragon, frozen upon his throne, to gaze out over the silent lands of his kingdom.

 _His Kingdom of Damnation._


	26. Chapter 26: United We Stand

**Alright! Penultimate chapter time! Not much to say this time other than the final chapter will be out before Legion hits Warcraft! So look forward to that! Everyone ready then? Let's do this! Onto the penulitimate of Broken Wings!**

 **Raging Archon: It's the Mythic (blue) Dreadplate Armor without the helm. And I chose to keep the infiltration piece out of the story since I already wrote a oneshot about the comic in which the keep is infiltrated and Anduin becomes a badass (finally... Took him long enough).**

 **Writer Nightpen: No, I know that was a little confusing, sorry. He's a Deathlord, which is a name that is given to the Death Knight player in Legion. The Lich King is still the king. Think of the Deathlord as the sort of... Right Hand Man of the King.**

* * *

United We Stand

* * *

"So that's it then?" Ruby whimpered and she lay upon Anduin's bed, her eyes sports massive bags. Glancing over to the young man sat at the desk she groaned, "Please say that's it... I can't take anymore..."

"Looks like it..." Anduin replied as he stacked up notes that lay before him. He did not look particularly energized either, with bits or hair flayed out in different directions and red eyes that betrayed his exhaustion to the world. "Sorry you have to sit through all this, but it's more important than ever to keep up appearances."

"I know, but why'd the wedding coordinator have to make us choose which color of blue to make the wedding cake?!..." Ruby asked as she raised her hands into the air, secretly imagining her nails clawing at the face of the wedding coordinator. "They were Blue! They were all freakin' blue!"

Anduin chuckled as he watched Ruby's miniature tantrum unfold. "While I agree with you, it's still best to just play along. She's only trying to make sure that everything goes perfectly."

"I know, I know..." Ruby could only groan in response. "But still... Who's idea was it to let Weiss organize the wedding?..."

"I believe it was her own."

It's silent for a good while as Anduin went about organizing the rest of the miscellaneous objects strewn across his desk while Ruby finally had the mind to remove her cloak, throwing it over a nearby chair in a heap before retrieving Crescent Rose from its resting place on the bedside.

This was her happy place. Not planning weddings. Just working on her baby using a small cup with tools near the bedside. That was her happy place.

She had always had a small toolkit back in Beacon, but was quickly cut off from the possibility of doing any maintenance to Crescent Rose while she was in Azeroth. That was until she, quite literally, stumbled upon a few gnomes that had been visiting the palace.

After profuse apologies and multiple promises to never trip over them again the gnomes had been kind enough to give her a tour of the Dwarven District, where they kept a permanent shop open that dealt in all matters mechanical, magic, or otherwise.

Needless to say she had quickly become a star customer.

"It's really kinda funny..." Ruby muttered as she mindlessly began adjusting small little pieces of her weapon.

"What?"

"Well at the beginning I thought-... I mean I just..." Ruby shrugged, stopping work on Crescent Rose. "I guess if someone came up to me a year ago and told me I'd be getting married to a Prince from another planet and fighting some world eating army of demons I would've laughed at them. A lot."

"Do you regret it?"

Ruby glanced over at the blonde for a long moment before redirecting her gaze to the balcony that lead outside.

"No.. No I don't. When I was a kid all I wanted was to make a difference." She replied, placing her scythe on the bed beside her. "I guess fate's just finally giving me that chance."

Anduin watches as Ruby seemed to withdraw slightly, her eyes becoming downcast as the next words flowed from her mouth, the worry within her voice nearly tangible.

"But that chance... It's not going to be an easy one... Is it?..."

"... _No_... It won't be..."

Anduin brought himself out of his chair and turned to face Ruby fully while she also stood, making her way over to him and into his arms.

"Sometimes I have to wonder... How are we going to do this? Are we going to be able to make it through this?..." Anduin muttered as he embraced the reaper. "I know that Sylvanas must have had a good reason to abandon my father's forces on the Broken Shore but if we don't have unity-..."

He felt as Ruby put a tender hand upon his shoulder, causing him to glance down at her.

"I guess I'm just wondering..." He clarified with a sigh, "How exactly do we plan to defeat an enemy like the Legion if the Alliance and Horde can't even trust in each other?..."

"It's like I said before this all started... Because none of us, Horde or Alliance, are planning to give up without a fight."

At the sound of the foreign voice echoing throughout the room Anduin's gaze towards the balcony, where Wrath sat, lounging along the frame of the balcony, as he had done in times past.

"Wrath?!..."

Wrath said nothing, instead hopping off of the balcony before making his way into the room, strolling over to the stand where Varian's note rested, cluttered amongst what seemed like a hundred different scrolls and parchments from different corners of the Alliance kingdoms wishing the new king well, along with condolences for Varian's demise.

Wrath pushed the other notes aside before picking it up Varian's, scanning it.

As Wrath read the note silently Anduin quietly noted the blades resting at Wrath's sides, along with the almost overwhelming amount of runic power that seemed to be coursing throughout the swords, giving them an almost magical appearance. That of frozen ice.

 _Were they?-..._

"Our foe is incomprehensible in scale and power... There's a damn good chance that they may be undefeatable... _Unending_..." Wrath muttered as he gingerly placed the unrolled scroll back onto the table before turning to face the new king. "But that doesn't matter. Our enemy may be the strongest we've ever faced, and we may've lost some of our best allies and cherished of loved ones... We've even lost the trust that's built up over the last few years between the two factions... But we won't give in to them. The Alliance and the Horde are both too strong to crumble, even under the weight the Legion has thrust upon us..."

Anduin said nothing, only observing as Wrath walked over to Ruby, placing a gauntlet covered hand on her head, ruffling her hair as one would to a child.

"Besides... You've got someone to protect now." Wrath continued, turning to face the prince once more, a calm smile on his face. A smile that seemingly had been absent since the day the Legion had defeated the Vanguard of Azeroth's defenders. "A reason to fight beyond your morals alone. You have a _real_ reason to keep going..."

"This is a much different outlook than the Wrath in the throne room just a few days ago..." Anduin noted, continuing to gaze down at the twin blades which rested comfortably on the Death Knight's hips. "What happened to you in Northrend?..."

"I was taught a valuable lesson..." Wrath replied, "...Not every day will be good... Not every engagement will result in victory... And in the end, not every man and woman who stands beside you may still be there when the sun sets on the final battlefield... But what matters is that we stand strong, despite our losses, despite our past setbacks..."

With that Wrath began making his way across the room, towards the door.

"The Knights of the Ebon Blade will stand by your side throughout this war Anduin, you have my word on that." He called back as he opened the door and began to step out of the room. "Whatever that's worth."

"And you?" Anduin asked, causing Wrath to hesitate in the doorway for a moment. "What about you, Wrath?"

"Well..." Wrath began, turning to face the young king with a small smirk on his face. "As long as you keep putting yourself in the way of giant bells and demonic armies then I suppose I'll just _have_ to stick around, won't I?"

"So you'll stay? You'll fight beside us?"

"Absolutely."

"... _Thank you_..."

Wrath only nodded before turning back to the hallway, his ears perking up for a moment as he seemed to remember something. "Oh and Anduin?"

"Yes?"

"Do you remember asking me about whether or not I could love? Even as a Death Knight?"

"Of course, why?"

"...You were right."

Wrath left without another word, leaving Ruby, along with a smiling Anduin, behind.

"I'm glad I was Wrath..." Anduin whispered as he watched as a small tendril of dark energy gently shut the door behind Wrath. "You deserve it as much as any of us."

* * *

Weiss looked herself over in the mirror for what seemed like the tenth time in the last few minutes. The wedding would be soon, and with all but no time to prepare Weiss was still determined to look her very best.

She had been quick to recruit several of the younger female guards from the palace to show her the best places to find a semi-decent dress that would suit her needs, and be delivered on time for the wedding.

Thankfully that issue was soon solved after a full day of shopping around the city, resulting in a dress for herself, as well as two for Blake and Yang.

Oh dust, her team... How in the world she was going to control them was beyond her.

She was all but sure she was going to have to wrangle Ruby around like a mother with a disobedient child with a hyperactivity issue. There would no doubt need to be constant reminders that her partner's behavior now affected an entire kingdom of people, not just her own.

Then there was Yang, who was just a sea of bad jokes and short tempers packed into a humanoid form. Seemingly overnight the brawler had made a miraculous recovery from the wounds she had sustained on the Broken Shore, though no one, not even Varimas or Anduin, could explain why.

Finally there was Blake. Thankfully she was always the least trouble when it came to decent social etiquette-... Oh wait. She was usually with Wrath now, who had time and again proven himself to be the elven equivalent of a medium sized natural disaster.

Dammit.

It wasn't even a guarantee that the two would even be attending the wedding. Weiss was fairly confident that Blake would be able to bring back Wrath eventually, but just having that unknown factor in this whole process was enough to make Weiss want to tear someone's, like Wrath's, ears off.

Oh well, she would make it work. She always did. She was a Schnee after all.

But as she placed the brush that she had been running through her hair onto the table in front of her, a thought wriggled in the the back of her mind, refusing to part from her conscious.

Was there even a Schnee legacy _left_?...

A soft knock at her bedroom door ripped her from her thoughts, drowning out her self pity in the rhythmic tapping of knuckle against wood.

She quickly straightened any imperfections in her dress out before making her way over to the door and opening it, revealing a rather tired looking Ravarth.

His armor was absent, with only a pair of thick looking pants along with a thin dark grey shirt nearly as dark as his own fur serving as clothing. What he was wearing was not what caught Weiss' attention however. No, that honor went to the strange object wrapped in a thick tarp resting in the Worgen's grasp.

"What, no snark comments on how I look ' _more prissy than usual_ '?" She asked, expecting a little more hostility than just a silent stare from the Worgen, who had time and again taken every opportunity to poke fun at every little thing he could about her.

This time though Ravarth simply shook his head before holding out the tarp bound object towards Weiss.

"I've been meaning to give this to you for a while now... The time just never seemed right... Now's probably not the best time either, but I won't hold it from you any longer." Ravarth explained as he handed the item to Weiss, who silently accepted it.

Weiss stole a small glance down at the cloth wrapped item before looking back up at Ravarth with an eyebrow raised in curiosity. "What is it exactly?"

"It's best if you just find out for yourself what it is..." Ravarth backed away from the door, the look of sorrow written as clearly on his face as the words on a book. "I'll just take my leave... Goodnight Mil-... _Weiss_..."

He disappeared down the hallway without another word, leaving Weiss standing at the entrance to her room, as confused as ever.

Realizing the only way she would be getting answers now was through whatever Ravarth had just handed to her, she began the work of carefully unwrapping it.

However, when the object was only half-way out of its cloth prison, Weiss' eyes widened in realization as her hands suddenly lost their grip on the object, instead flying to her mouth as she held back a sob.

Staring back at her was Neptune's weapon.

She silently knelt down on the ground and pulled away the rest of the cloth, letting the spear, now in its dormant form, rest on her lap like a child.

The heiress lightly brushed her fingers along the flat of the head of the blade, watching as the weapon glowed a soft blue shade, as if unaware it's master no longer wielded it.

"...Thank you..."

Yes. She could get through this, with or without her name. They all could.

Somehow...

* * *

"Well, looks like it arrived," Jaune said as he and the rest of team JNPR stood over a medium sized box crafted out of wood, with small bits of hay sticking out of the sides of the box. "And in pretty good time too."

In his hands, staring back at him with a gleam on its surface, was the reforged form of Corcea Mors. No longer did it have the look of a regular arming sword, as the blade had been pounded out into a shorter but wider profile, giving it the feel of a large Xiphos.

"I'm surprised, that dwarf wasn't joking when he said he could get it fixed up in a day two." Pyrrha noted as she gazed down at the sword.

She was honestly impressed just by how immaculate the sword looked. Gone were the char marks that had been burnt onto the surface of the blade by Fel-lava, instead replaced by the gleaming metal that made up the rest of the blade. The handle had been rewrapped with a royal red leathery material, while the hilt had been hammered into a more compact shape.

"Yes, the craftsmen of this world certainly seem to be skilled, and certainly reliable in their claims." Ren added, examining the new leather bound sheath that had come alongside the sword. "It's amazing how they were able to bend high carbon steel into a leaf blade with such little trouble."

"Ooh, do you think they can make Magnhild even _more_ awesome?!" Nora asked as she held up her own pride and joy, a psychotic smile on her face.

"I'm sure they can." Ren chuckled as he reached over to pat Nora's head, to which she gave another, and less psychotic, wide smile.

"So how do you plan to use them both?" Pyrrha asked, glancing over at Jaune, who still hadn't put the blade down since it had arrived. "Strap Ashbringer to your back and Corcea on your side perhaps?"

"No, I-..." Jaune stuffer end for a moment as his voice seemed to lose all strength, though the conviction remained. "I wasn't joking around when I said I wanted someone else to use Corcea Mors."

"But Jaune, that was the sword that was handed down to you by your parents, shouldn't you think about it before you give-..."

"I already have, and I know they'll take good care of it..."

"But _who_ -..." Pyrrha cut herself off when Jaune suddenly thrust the hilt of the blade onto her hand, using his hands to wrap her fingers around the grip of the sword gently. It seemed to fit perfectly in her hand, not even the bumps of the leather loosening her grip on the sword.

It was as if the sword's grip had been resized exactly for her.

"Pyrrha... I want _You_ to have it..."

* * *

Blake sighed as she gazed out over the seemingly endless rooftops of Stormwind city.

Only a few months ago she had seen this sight for the very first time. She remembered how it had taken her breath away, seeing the magical lands of Azeroth in such a way for the very first time.

It still took her breath away. Even after all that she had seen of this strange but fascinating world. That she wouldn't deny.

But tonight another goal was in the forefront of her mind.

She made her way up the rest of the tower, with only her Faunus enhanced senses stopping her from accidentally stubbing her toe on a stone stair or tripping back down to the base of the stairwell.

After a minute or two of silent ascent she found herself before that doorway once more.

The doorway that lead into Wrath's abode.

Before her hand had shaken, but now it was calm. Before her knock had been quiet and unsure, but now it was loud and reassured.

After a few moments of waiting, the door opened, revealing Wrath who, unlike the last time Blake had appeared at such a late hour, now wore a calm and content smile on his face that seemed to radiate peace.

Blake could only smile in return as she made her way into the room, with Wrath making no moves to stop her from entering.

When she was a decent ways into the room she heard the unmistakable sound of the latch on the door clicking closed before feeling Wrath's arms wrap around her.

 _"Zailan..."_

She turned around and slowly leaned into a kiss, letting fate dictate whatever should happen between the two of them next.

* * *

Gul'dan held back a chuckle of delight as he watched two felguards roughly rip open the wrought iron door of the jail cell he stood before. Despite the rest of the room appearing quite high tech, this cell had seemingly been pulled right out of an old dungeon, no doubt out of the captor's distain for their prisoner.

Breaking into the jail during the Legion's initial assault on the world of Remnant had been easy enough, though he couldn't say he enjoyed revisiting it now that it was back in the hands of the enemy.

Thankfully he had taken the necessary precautions to ensure he could return.

After all... The prize that lay behind that jail cell was just too enticing to pass up.

As he waited for his minions to retrieve the prisoner from the cell, Gul'dan took a glance back at the two corpses behind him, that of a male and a female respectively.

They had also been locked away in this small jail, though had proven too weak for his gifts. The male's metal legs had even exploded when the Fel energy began to overwhelm his body.

Gul'dan certainly was interested to see if the third would be found worthy.

And speaking of the third...

He watched with an amused smirk as the two felguards dragged a small frail female form out of the darkness of the cell, tossing her onto the ground before Gul'dan before backing away, watching as the Warlock examined his prize like a hunter leering over its latest kill.

"You... I sense much power within you." Gul'dan whispered, like a viper hissing at a recently caught mouse, as the prisoner slowly raised her head, covered in dried blood, up to gaze at him. "The stories I've heard of you were not lies it seems... Good..."

The woman only coughed in response, too weak to speak, blood spattering the tile floor she knelt upon like a beaten dog.

"Though that power... That power rots away in here... Unused... Unharnessed..." Gul'dan grumbled as he watched the woman hack up blood. It would take much work before she would be suitable for what he had planned for her. "Wasted..."

Gul'dan knelt down and pressed a gangly finger against the woman's forehead, digging the tip of his nail into her skin, letting a fresh stream of blood drip down her face, joining the small puddle already on the floor.

"You are destined for more than this... You are destined for power greater than any you could hope to achieve on your own..."

Gul'dan began focusing power through his palm and into his fingers, the Fel energies forcing their way into the woman's skull.

"Allow me to open your eyes to the truth... _Fall_..."

The last thing the woman heard as she was forced to the ground and into unconsciousness were the haunting sounds of her own haggard screams as demonic energy began to flood her mind and body, enveloping her entirely...


	27. Chapter 27: Red Like Roses

**I hope everyone is prepared! Because Legion will be launching in just 4 hours! And because of that, I now present you with the final chapter of Broken Wings! I thank you all for taking this journey with me, and I can't wait to see what else will be in store! Oh, and check out a small shortstory that Raging Archon did about Broken Wings. I read it, and it fits into the cannon completely, so if you wan to know what happens to Cinder, go and check it out! And now, the final chapter of Broken Wings! (Keep an eye out for a reference to (Chronical of the Annoying Quest btw!)**

* * *

Red Like Roses

* * *

"...-And so! It is from the bottom of my heart that I thank you all for taking the time to attend this monumental occasion!" Anduin called out to the audience from his high point on the stage. "Consider this the first of many celebrations that we shall hold once we take the fight back to the Legion, and drive them off of Azeroth, once and for all!"

"Here here!" The crowd, a few hundred strong at the least, all crowded around in the Cathedral District, roared in approval at the new King's words.

Anduin quickly stepped down from the stage before making his way over to his friends, eager to get back to both them and his newly wed wife.

As the thought of her crossed through his mind, as if on cue, eyes landed on Ruby, who was dressed in a beautiful but simple wedding dress that had been specially crafted by the High Elves of Dalaran.

Of course that detail was lost on her, as she was currently attempting to keep her balance, with only Yang, who was the only thing to stop her from kissing the dirt on more than one occasion.

"Stupid.. Lady stilts!" Ruby cried and she leaned on Yang, who chuckled and lead Ruby around by the arm to different groups of diplomats and citizens who were more than ecstatic to meet their new Queen.

Anduin smiled and turned to see Weiss and the Dwarven diplomat discussing a large mechanical contraption chugging out smoke and steam. It had apparently been a wedding gift by the gnomes working at the shop Ruby frequented, though judging by their discussion, it was far from safe.

"I can't believe this. How in the world did they even get this monstrosity to stand up?!"

"Lass, they're Gnomes... They're good at three things..." The Dwarf chucked, taking a sip of mead before continuing. "Magic, science, an' blowing things up with both. They're nae good at construction."

"What's it even supposed to be?!"

"An artistic representation of our favorite priss." Ravarth, who was wandering by with a mug of ale his hand, spat out with a grin.

"Why you little-..." Weiss began, only to growl loudly when she saw Ravarth stroll away, not even turning to acknowledge her. "Hey!... Hey! Get back here!"

"Come catch me then, princess!" Ravarth replied as he held up the universal salute above his head.

Anduin watched with amusement as Weiss stomped after Ravarth, attempting to grab the drink out of his hand, only to have a worgen paw pressed against her forehead, holding her back like a child.

Realizing that the two of them would no doubt soon begin one of their usual bickering sessions, Anduin turned away, only to eventually land eyes on Wrath, who was quietly talking with Blake, who was dressed in a long black dress with a cloth with the symbol of the Ebon Vlade around her arm.

"Wrath, can you go set up the ignition for the fireworks?" Anduin asked as he pointed over to a small crate, bursting to the seams with wires, that lay at the corner of a nearby wall. "I'll be giving my main speech soon and I know listening to speeches isn't exactly a favored activity of yours."

"Sure thing." Wrath replied as he glanced over to the box of wires and contraptions that was no doubt constructed by the same gnomes who had created the strange wedding gift from before. "...There's a timer setup on them right?"

Anduin chuckled at the Death Knight's cautious tone. "Yes. It was crafted so that they will go off specifically to light during my speech. Just light the fuse, the arcane magic coating around it will halt the flame until my speech begins."

"Alright."

"Don't be too long!" Yang called over from where she and Ruby sat, surrounded by Stormwind Knights. "We don't have anyone else here crazy enough to hold Blakey here back from the seafood section of the buffet!"

"Yang!"

Wrath chuckled at the blush that shot onto Blake's face and shook his head, making his way to retrieve the fireworks.

* * *

The first thing that Wrath saw when he first approaches Lion's Rest was the tomb. The tomb of the man that an entire kingdom, perhaps an entire world, had looked up to and admired. Even most members of the Horde could say that they respected the man, at least to some degree.

But now he was gone. Only his tomb now remained.

The second thing he noticed however, would turn out to be far more interesting.

Standing there, just at the base of the small set of stairs that lead up to Varian's tomb, Wrath noticed a woman, or at least what he perceived to be a woman. The long white cloak that she wore hid all but her general body shape, which was almost as small as Ruby's, to the Death Knight.

He strolled up to the tomb in silence.

"So... It's time for the fireworks?" The figure, who judging by her voice was most certainly a woman, spoke up as soon as Wrath began to draw near. "To officially coronate the new King and Queen?"

"It is..." Wrath replied as he walked over to the statue, past the woman, before beginning the process of setting up fireworks around it, not even bothering to glance back at the woman. "Honestly I'm surprised to find anyone over here. It seems like the entirety of the Alliance showed up to the wedding."

"I felt it best to keep my distance... It's... For the best..."

"Suit yourself. The celebrations last until the end of the week, so if you change your mind the festivities are open to anyone."

The woman said nothing in response, only continuing to gaze forwards at Varian's tomb.

Wrath silently began leading fuses away from the fireworks all into a center point a few meters away from the statue, this time taking a moment to glance up at the woman.

She hadn't even budged an inch.

"...He was a brave man..."

"He was..." Wrath agreed as he began the rather annoying task of tying the fuses together and ties a small magical detonator on them all "In the end though, it meant little to the demons who slaughtered him like he was nothing more than an animal..."

"In the end it showed that he was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for his people, and because of that sacrifice the Alliance he gave his life for lives on," The woman chided as she walked over to the grave and knelt down, brushing dirt from the plaque that had gathered over the days since the memorial was erected. "Perhaps stronger than ever before..."

"Perhaps."

"You don't agree?"

"No, I do..." Wrath replied, continuing to tie up with fuses as he spoke. "I just wish Varian was never forced to make that decision... It's going to be a long, hard conflict without him."

"Have faith in the new King and Queen, they-..."

"Make no mistake, I have complete faith in the two of them." The elf interrupted, snapping his vision up to gaze up at the hooded figure, who still was not facing him. "We Will win this war..."

The woman giggled and pulled herself to her feet, still not facing Wrath. "You Azerothians are so fascinating. The courage and tenacity you all hold is nothing short of legendary..."

Wrath's eyebrow raised at this comment. "You're from Remnant?"

"Yes, I am..." The woman replied, her voice dropping in pitch as a bad memory seemed to flood back to her. "Though... I haven't called it home for quite some time."

"You haven't called it home? I was under the impression Remnant had no communication with another planet before Azeroth."

"You're right." The woman whispered as she tilted her head down towards the ground, though she still did not face the Death Knight. "You could say I was separated in a much...different way."

"I see... So then why show up in Azeroth then?" Wrath asked, bringing himself to his feet. "Even with the permanent portals set up its still not the easiest of trips. What made it worth the trouble?

"Allies of mine have been curious as to how you've all been handling the current situation." The woman explained. "With the Legion's presence festering on both Azeroth and Remnant, those old acquaintances and I felt it best to reconvene with each other and deliberate on a plan of action... That plan of action has lead me here."

"And who exactly are these ' _Allies_ ' of yours?" Wrath asked suspiciously, silently inching his hand towards the hilt of one of his swords.

"I believe you already know of them." The woman replied, her voice once again back to its previous chipper state. "Their names are Ozpin, along with Goodwitch, and Branwen."

"Branwen? Never met him."

"You won't be able to forget him once you do."

" _Right_..." Wrath muttered, shaking his head. He was relatively sure he'd heard Ruby mention a Branwen, but what exactly she had mentioned regarding him was eluded him. "Putting that aside through, did I hear you correctly before? Did you say Ozpin?"

"That's correct."

"I was under the impression that he had been killed during the invasion of Remnant."

"He almost was." The woman said as she let out a soft sigh. "I was able to save he and Goodwitch in the midst of the chaos. They've been recovering ever since."

"You saved them?"

"Yes... I arrived on the campus just as the first demons were making landfall on the school building and the surrounding area..." She explained, tapping the tip of her shoe against the ground. "The Legion's invasion has certainly forced me out of the shadows. That's for sure..."

"If you're telling the truth, then why hasn't Ozpin attempted to contact us earlier? It's been almost 3 months since Remnant was first attacked." Wrath asked as he knelt down and began making the final adjustments on the fireworks. "Recovery shouldn't take them that long, even if they'd been injured severely. I know what your Aura is capable of."

"I've attempted to get into contact with a few of you multiple times now, unfortunately some circumstance or another inevitably forced me to withdraw and reconsider exactly how to make contact with you all."

Wrath only glared at the woman's back, a small grimace on his face. "Right..."

"It's fine. I know that my story is probably far from believable." The woman admitted, giving a bashful shrug, though whether or not she was guilty remained to be seen, as she still had not turned to face the Death Knight. "But trust me when I tell you that we are your allies against the Legion, and Ozpin is truly concerned for the wellbeing of his students... As am I..."

"And what sort of stake do you have in their wellbeing?"

Silence passed over the tomb area for a good while after that.

Eventually, once he realized the woman would be staying silent, Wrath turned back to his project, finishing his task of setting the charges for the fireworks.

"Right... About that..." The woman finally spoke up after what seemed like an eternity, though she visibly hesitated, as if debating to utter anything more. "...If you don't mind, could I ask a favor of you?"

"I suppose..." Wrath says as he depressed the switch on the main console, dropping it to the ground as it began lighting all of the fuses, ready to ignite the fireworks on Anduin's verbal signal.

It was quiet, only the hiss of the fuse and the faraway roar of the party to keep the area from silence.

"Could you congratulate my daughter in my stead?..."

"Your daughter?" Wrath asked as he brought himself to a standing position, snapping his attention fully towards the woman, who flinched at the harsh edge in the Death Knight's voice. "What're you talking about?"

"Yes," The woman whispered, hesitating for one last moment before she whirled around to face the sin'dorei. "My daughter..."

Time seemed to freeze at that very moment for Wrath, who could only stare in shock as the woman lowered the hood from her head, revealing the black and red hair that adorned her head, along with the silver eyes that seemed to stare into his soul.

All he could do was stare.

Stare at the chain axes that rested on her hips. Stare at the white and red armor that was secured over a red and black battle dress.

Stare the reflection of Ruby, only that of an adult woman, gazing back at him with a calm smile on her face.

"She did just get married after all..."

* * *

As Anduin approached the main stage, with Ruby on his arm, he let out a small sigh of fatigue. It had certainly been quite an active day, with the parties that were planned to last into the night showing no sign of relief in sight.

But as he gazed down at the young woman who cling to his arm, awkwardly attempting to keep her balance, he felt a small smile crawl onto his face. This simple soul, who had quite literally dropped into his life, had changed both he and the world around them so much in the relatively short time she had been on Azeroth.

And it certainly showed by the size of the crowd that stood before them now, all eager to see the new King and Queen present their first formal speech. And as Anduin looked over the crowd he realized that those who made up the crowd came from what seemed to be every conceivable race he could possibly imagine.

That was... Expect for those of the Horde.

Had things gone differently at the Broken Shore, would the Horde have been here now? Celebrating with them? He couldn't guess. All he could do was hope that they would have been.

He silently drew Shalaymane, which had been resting on his side, before holding it up into the air, letting the blade reflect the light of the sun, giving the sword the appearance of ethereality, shimmering beautifully in the afternoon sun.

Ruby was quick to follow in the lead of her husband, bringing Crescent Rose into its scythe form before holding it high up into the air with Shalamayne.

"People of the Alliance!" He began, catching the attention of all those in attendance. "I would like to thank you for taking the time to attend this celebration, despite the chaos that no doubt plagues our lives in light of current events..."

The crowd all began murmuring words of gratitude at the King's acknowledgment. It was certainly true that almost none of them were currently living a peaceful life. Most had lost a friend or loved one at the Broken Shore, and funerals and vigils were popping up across the land by the hundreds.

"I hope that all of you, both soldier and citizen, hero and merchant, will prove to be a bulwark against the dark flame that now encroaches on our world... The darkness that is the Burning Legion."

Anduin seemed to hesitate for a moment as he gazed upon the crowd, a sad frown flashing across his features.

"...To say that all of you, that stand before Ruby and I now, will live through this war would be a lie... The truth is a harsh one, yet one that we must accept..." Anduin muttered, clenching his fists. "In all likelihood, the man or woman that stands beside you now will not live to see the Legion's defeat..."

The crowd visibly reacted to this truth, with some, no more than an awkward cough, while others, who had already lost a loved one, only began to cry and wail.

"However!..." Anduin suddenly called out, prompting the crowd to all refocus their attention on the king. "While our friends may fall, and kingdoms may burn, I can promise you one thing! The Legion will meet its final end on Azeroth!"

Anduin's voice only seemed to grow in strength as he spoke.

"We will not fall to the Legion! We will not bow our heads and surrender! We will fight to defend that which we hold most dear, no matter the cost!" Anduin yelled out as he held up Shalamayne higher into the sky. "For the Alliance! For Remnant! For the Light!"

On cue, fireworks suddenly shot from Varian's tomb into the, covering the sky in a cacophony of different colors that seemed to promise hope. Promise salvation.

And at that very moment, as the crowd glanced up into the sky, images flashed before Anduin's mind's eye.

That of Tirion, leading the crusade on the victory. The man who had saved the world from Death itself.

That of Bolvar Fordragon, unmarred by the dragon's flame, and without the crown that he was now bound with. The man who had become the jailor of the damned.

And finally... That of his father... Standing beside he and Ruby, watching with a smile of pride on his face as he gave the marriage between the two his blessing. The man who had given hope to so many... And had sacrificed himself to keep that hope alive...

The King of Stormwind paid no mind to the tears that clouded his vision as he held Shalaymane as high into the air as he could, and with what seemed to be his spirit manifest, he let out a roar that echoed not only across the courtyard, but that of all of Stormwind and beyond.

 ** _"FOR AZEROTH!"_**

As if in perfect sync, every knight drew their blades, all pointing them to the air, following the actions of their King.

"Long live King Wrynn! Long live Queen Wrynn!" The soldiers shouted in unison, letting their voice carry onto the wind.

The voice that showed that Stormwind had not been defeated. That Azeroth would still fight.

And they would win... No matter the cost...

"For Azeroth!"

"For Azeorth!.."

"For Azeorth!..."

 _...For Azeroth..._

* * *

 **And that's it! The end of Broken Wings!**

 **Before anyone complains that I sort of just stuck Summer in the story at the last minute with no real warning, I didn't. She's been in the story since chapter 16 of the story when she saved Ravarth and Weiss!... Or did you not notice that when Ravarth (someone who had only seen Ruby twice up to that point) 'recognized' Ruby as 'kid' she didn't acknowledge him back? ;D**

 **Like I said at the beginning of this chapter, I thank you all for all of your support and reviews! Your support is what turned this lackluster one-shot into a story that now spans a years worth of time, and 27 chapters! Couldn't have done it without each and every one of you!**

 **I hope to see you all on the Broken Isles!**

 **Good luck in Legion!**


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